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RARAF

The Radiological Research Accelerator Facility (RARAF) at Columbia Nevis Labs is dedicated to providing user-friendly radiation sources for research in biology, radiation biology, and radiation physics. Our sources include a unique single-cell/single-particle microbeam irradiator that allows irradiation of single cells or parts of cells with exactly one (or more) charged particle(s). This provides a unique opportunity for scientists to study both structure and function of individual cells and, particularly, their response to damage. Another source provides ultra-high dose rate electron beams delivering therapeutically-relevant doses in a fraction of a microsecond, allowing testing of novel radiotherapy protocols.

RARAF involves a unique interaction of physics, engineering, and biology, and there are opportunities for research projects in the fields of beam line development (e.g. development of ultra high dose rate electron beams to study new approaches to cancer radiation therapy), beamline focusing and targeting (e.g charged particle microbeams and collimated neutron beams), and applications to biological systems (e.g. new designs for UV lamps to fight surgical site infections).

REU students working on RARAF would be based at Nevis Labs.