Diego Hopson Safatli - Beamline technician on ID19

“My partner and I were looking to move out of Madrid to a smaller city when I saw the position at the ESRF. I had already visited CERN and liked the idea of working at a particle accelerator so when I saw the position at the ESRF I was keen to apply, it sounded exciting. I studied electronics in Argentina, where I grew up, then avionics (electricity and electronics) for the aviation industry. I joined the ESRF in February 2024 as technician on the ID19 beamline.

I spend a lot of time with the users, learning about their goals and assisting them during the set-up and installation. I provide general support during the experiment for alignment or in the event of equipment adjustments. I like to offer users a good service and feel happy when everyone meets their goals. It’s fascinating to evolve in this environment, to be able to see the tomography imaging in real time and to be part of this fertile and stimulating setting. The ID19 team is close knit and life on the campus is a mix of inside and out, when the weather allows for it. The Grenoble area is an extension of that. I’m getting to know the city centre with its many restaurants and museums. Just lately, I’ve been exploring the mountain roads on my motorcycle as well as doing some trekking and hiking. So far, Grenoble and the ESRF have lived up to all my expectations.”

Diego Hopson Safatli was born in Argentina and moved to Spain at the age of 20. He obtained a degree in avionics in 2012 and followed an internship at Sabena Technics in Brussels. Before joining the ESRF in 2024, he worked in administration in Madrid, handling requests and queries from senior managers and liaising between business units, private companies, the government and embassies.