CERN’s Venus Keus on life as a particle cosmologist

Venus Keus is a scientific associate at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) and shares her thoughts on her life as a particle cosmologist. As a child, Venus was curious and always asked "why?", which led them to pursue a career in physics. They currently work on fundamental questions such as what happened after the Big Bang, why the Universe is filled with matter and not antimatter, and how the Universe is evolving.

Keus has had an unorthodox journey towards their career, studying plasma physics in Iran, bio nanotechnology in the Netherlands, and nano science in Sweden before eventually focusing on particles in Belgium. They also worked on a six-year grant project in Belgium and a post-doctoral programme in Helsinki, where they discovered their passion for early universe cosmology.

Keus is now based in Ireland, working with Science Foundation Ireland to establish particle cosmology at the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies (DIAS). As a woman from the Middle East, Keus faced financial and cultural challenges in her academic journey, but their persistent curiosity and determination brought them to their true calling.