CERN Accelerating science

     
 

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ICTR-PHE: converging sciences to corner cancer

Radio chemists, nuclear-medicine physicians, biologists, software developers, accelerator experts, oncologists, and detector physicists: the ICTR-PHE conference is an amazing confluence of experts from a variety of fields. Despite their diversified backgrounds, and their many scientific languages, they all share a common goal: fighting cancer with state-of-the-art techniques from their respective areas of expertise. Thinking outside the box is their speciality. >>

Taking biomedical research at CERN to the next level

1954 was an eventful year, seeing as it did the start of two scientific strands that would eventually intertwine. That was not only the year that CERN was founded, but also the year in which John Lawrence first used protons accelerated in his brother Ernest’s cyclotron to treat cancer. The idea was not new; it was first put forward by Robert Wilson, founder of both the Cornell Laboratory of Nuclear Studies and Fermilab, who in 1946 pointed out that protons might be more effective at dealing with certain cancers than X-rays. >>

LS1 Report: Full-size security

Last week several CERN teams were involved in creating a life-size mock helium leak in Sector 4-5. The goals of the exercise were to measure how quickly the helium cloud spread, the change in temperature and the level of oxygen in various parts of the tunnel at different points in time, as well as to check the effects of the helium on the machine and the infrastructures and, above all, to re-evaluate the safety standards in force in the tunnel. >>

PH Department: at the heart of CERN

The Physics Department is where the Laboratory’s scientific activity takes place. Some 1000 members of the personnel and 11,000 users work together on CERN’s highly diversified experimental programme. The challenges for the coming years are twofold: maintain the level of excellence that led the Laboratory to the discovery of the Higgs boson, and preserve the diversity of the scientific programme. The new Department Head discusses his vision with us. >>

The Marie Curie Actions at CERN – reaching out beyond particle physics and Europe

The European Commission’s Marie Curie Actions have been a pillar of the EU Framework Programmes for several decades as a means of promoting career development and enhancing mobility of researchers in Europe. This corresponds nicely to one of CERN’s main missions: to train the next generation of scientists and engineers. >>

CERN and the JRC discuss new collaboration opportunities

At a recent meeting organised by the Knowledge Transfer group, the Director for Science Policy and Stakeholder Relations of the European Commission Joint Research Centre (JRC) together with a delegation from five JRC institutes came to CERN to identify topics of common interest where concrete collaborations between the two organisations could start. >>

Maria and Giuseppe: lives intertwined with CERN’s history

CERN will be celebrating its 60th anniversary this year. That means 60 years of pioneering scientific research and exciting discoveries. Two Italian physicists, Maria and Giuseppe Fidecaro, remember nearly all of it since they arrived in 1956. Most impressively, they are still hard at work, every day! >>

ATLAS PhD Grant Scholarship Programme

On 11 February, the first recipients of the ATLAS PhD Grant were presented with a certificate by the programme’s selection committee. The three scholars - Lailin Xu of China, Josefina Alconada of Argentina and Gagik Vardanyan of Armenia - were delighted at being able to continue their PhD programmes at CERN. >>

Behind the scenes of GS: preventing and curing

With about 10,000 persons on the site every day, CERN’s infrastructure takes a real hammering every day of the year. Fortunately, the GS-SE Group is on the watch… >>

Computer Security: How private is “private”?

What a surprise it would be for you to discover that everyone at CERN can access your Windows “My Documents” folder or your AFS home-folder? Reading your private letters? Looking at your private photos?  Digging through your confidential documents? Would you be embarrassed? You would not be the first. >>

Ombuds' Corner: MARS interviews, an opportunity for new understandings (Part 1)

With the annual MARS exercise quickly approaching, now is an ideal time to consider how to carry out a successful interview. Whether you are a supervisor or a supervisee, preparation, and an open frame of mind, can turn the experience into much more than a formality. >>

Lorenzo Foà (1937 - 2014)

Lorenzo Foà, a protagonist of Experimental High Energy Physics for five decades and mentor of dozens of students, passed away peacefully and unexpectedly in Pisa on 13 January 2014. He was a professor at the Scuola Normale Superiore in Pisa and spent most of his scientific career at CERN. >>

Christian Leclere (1962 - 2014)

It is with great sadness that we announce the sudden death of our colleague Christian Leclere at the age of 52. He had worked as a courier in the CERN Mail Service since 1988. >>

Luc Savary (1949 - 2014)

It is with great sadness that we announce the death of our colleague Luc Savary at the age of 64. >>

Don't miss the Announcements and Events sections of the Bulletin!

There you'll find information on the 2014 European School of High-Energy Physics, the seventh Inverted CERN School of Computing, the Safety Guideline GS 0-0-1, the Safety Bulletin 2014-1, the final public lecture by Jan Peters. >>

Official News

CERN Health Insurance Scheme (CHIS) Monthly Contributions – Changes for 2014  
To all members of the personnel: Summer work for children of members of the personnel  
Subsidised energy prices in France: TPN – Tarif de Première Nécessité (“basic needs” electricity price) and TSS – Tarif Spécial de Solidarité (special solidarity price for natural gas)  

Training and Development

English and French courses  
Language tandem  
Safety Training: places available in February 2014  

Announcements

2014 European School of High-Energy Physics  
Where students turn into teachers: the seventh Inverted CERN School of Computing  
For safety in procurement, follow the guide!  
Safety Bulletin 2014-1  
Don't miss the Announcements and Events sections of the Bulletin!  

Events

Meet playwright Hassan Abdulrazzak | 24 February  
Université de Genève | Séminaire de physique corpusculaire | 26 February  
Collide@CERN: On 27 February, don't miss the final public lecture by Jan Peters, CERN's artist in residence  

Staff Association

RESULTS OF THE QUESTIONNAIRE: ANALYSIS METHODS  
Cine-Club  
Nursery School  
Interfon  
Dancing Club  
Offers