Page 73 - A Life - my Live - my path

6. Medical and industrial nuclear

IRE - Institut National des Radioéléments (1st job)

By June 1975, I had passed my technical engineering exams,
but at the end of September I had to submit my final thesis.
I asked my nuclear physics teacher if he would agree to be
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my thesis supervisor, which he did. He asked me to set up an
α (alpha) radiation spectrograph with the appropriate
measurements so that it could be calibrated and used by
students in subsequent years for nuclear physics laboratory
experiments.

At the same time while finalising my thesis, I applied for
a two-month internship (July-August) at l'Institut National
des Radioéléments (IRE) in Fleurus, near de Charleroi. The
IRE specialised in the production of radioimmunoassay’s
used in nuclear medicine and in the production of products
for the pharmaceutical industry.

I got the unpaid internship through my sister, whose boss
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knew the managing director of IRE. It was a little boost
that made me very happy, because having a degree in
nuclear science and finding a work placement in a centre like
the IRE was a real godsend. In Belgium, two nuclear centres
were operational: one in Mol, the CEN , the other in
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Fleurus, the IRE.

62 Professor DEHON, doctor in physics.
63 René CONSTANT
64 Center for Nuclear Studies
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