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Rajaâ Cherkaoui El Moursli facts for kids

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Rajaâ Cherkaoui El Moursli
Born (1954-05-12) 12 May 1954 (age 71)
Salé, Morocco
Nationality Moroccan
Occupation Physicist, academic

Rajaâ Cherkaoui El Moursli, born on May 12, 1954, is a brilliant scientist from Morocco. She is a Professor of nuclear physics at Mohammad V University in Rabat. She is famous for winning the L'Oréal-UNESCO Awards for Women in Science. This award recognized her important work on something called the Higgs Boson.

Early Life and Education

Rajaâ Cherkaoui El Moursli was born in Salé, Morocco, in 1954. She earned her first degree in mathematics from Lycée Descartes in Rabat. It was not easy for her to study further as a girl in Morocco at that time. She had to convince her father to let her continue her education.

What Inspired Her?

Rajaâ was inspired by the amazing achievements of astronaut Neil Armstrong. She also credits a high school teacher who encouraged her. These inspirations helped her decide to pursue a career in science.

Studying in France

After her studies in Morocco, Rajaâ went to France. She studied in Grenoble and earned her doctorate in physics. Her research was done at the Laboratory of Subatomic Physics and Cosmology. This lab was part of Joseph Fourier University. In 1982, she returned to her home country, Morocco.

Contributions to Science

Rajaâ Cherkaoui El Moursli is known for her important work in physics. She has helped advance scientific research in Morocco. Her most famous contribution is related to the Higgs Boson.

The Higgs Boson

In 2015, Rajaâ received the L'Oréal-UNESCO Awards for Women in Science. This award was for her role in proving the existence of the Higgs Boson. The Higgs Boson is a tiny particle that helps explain why other particles have mass. It is a very important part of how our universe works.

Improving Healthcare

Beyond her work in pure physics, Rajaâ has also helped improve healthcare. She created the first master's degree program in medical physics in Morocco. This program helps train experts who can use physics knowledge in medicine. For example, they learn about medical imaging and radiation therapy.

Recognition from ATLAS

Dave Charlton, who was the spokesperson for the ATLAS experiment, praised Rajaâ. The ATLAS experiment is a large particle physics experiment at CERN. He congratulated her on her award. He also recognized her vital part in the discovery of the Higgs Boson.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Rajaâ Cherkaoui El Moursli para niños

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