Finkeldei works to provide new source of Ac-225 isotope

AirUCI faculty Sarah Finkeldei, as part of a collaboration with Serva Energy, Arizona State University, and the Mayo Clinic, is working to provide new synthetic pathways to medical isotopes for application in Targeted Alpha Therapies for cancer treatment.  Using UCI’s nuclear reactor, they have transformed Radium-226 (which is a nuclear waste product) to Actinium-225, a life-saving isotope used for targeted alpha therapy for certain types of cancer.  “It’s been truly rewarding to utilize UCI’s TRIGA research reactor and our nuclear chemistry laboratories to contribute to such an important application of nuclear materials,” said Sarah.  Read the article