Scientists from Brunel University of London are among the international teams of researchers collaborating on CERN’s Large Hadron Collider (LHC) experiments who have been awarded the 2025 Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics.
Widely regarded as the ‘Oscars of Science’, the Breakthrough Prize celebrates groundbreaking contributions that advance our understanding of the universe.
The honour was jointly awarded to CERN’s four major LHC experiment collaborations – ALICE, ATLAS, CMS, and LHCb – in recognition of their highly precise tests of the Standard Model of particle physics, as well as their investigations into theories that extend beyond it.
The prize specifically recognises key achievements made during the LHC’s Run-2 period, which concluded in July 2024.
These include enhanced measurements of Higgs boson properties, the search for new subatomic particles predicted by various extensions of the Standard Model, insights into the matter-antimatter asymmetry of the universe, and unprecedented explorations of the fundamental nature of reality under conditions more extreme than previously possible.
Researchers at Brunel University of London are contributing to one of the four major experiments: the CMS experiment, which investigates high-energy particle collisions to probe the fundamental forces of nature in regions made accessible only in the LHC, allowing for deeper investigations into the properties of the elementary particles that constitute the universe.
Professor Akram Khan, Director of the Experimental Particle Physics Group at Brunel, explained, “I’m absolutely thrilled to see the work of our brilliant team at Brunel, and our global collaborators, recognised with this incredible accolade. It’s a huge honour and provides an opportunity to share more widely the work we are undertaking to uncover the mysteries of the universe, pushing ever more relentlessly at the limits of what we know.
“Brunel has played a key role in the CMS experiment – from building vital parts of the detectors right here in our specialist labs, to operating complex systems at CERN and diving deep into the data to make sense of the universe. Our team has taken on leadership roles and made real contributions, and we’re so proud to see their work celebrated with this amazing prize.
“Our staff [Nikolaos Boulgouris, Joanne Cole, Peter Hobson, Akram Khan, Paul Kyberd, Ivan Reid, David Smith], students [Lisa Juckett, Antonio Ventura, Rishi Dabhi], and the engineers and technicians involved [Raul Lopes, Asif Alvi, Nalin Soni] are deeply gratified to see our efforts recognised with this prestigious award.”
The four major LHC collaborations include thousands of scientists from over 70 nations. The $3 million prize was accepted in Los Angeles by the current spokespersons of each of the experiments.
The collaborations, in consultation with the Breakthrough Prize Foundation, have chosen to donate the award to the CERN & Society Foundation. The funds will provide grants for PhD students from member institutions, allowing them to spend time at CERN gaining experience at the cutting edge of research in fundamental physics.
Fabiola Gianotti, Director-General of CERN said: “I am extremely proud to see the extraordinary accomplishments of the LHC collaborations honoured with this prestigious Prize. It is a beautiful recognition of the collective efforts, dedication, competence and hard work of thousands of people from all over the world who contribute daily to pushing the boundaries of human knowledge.”
Looking ahead, the LHC collaborations are preparing for the next phase: the High-Luminosity LHC upgrade, set to begin in 2030. Scientist and engineers at Brunel are closely involved in this ambitious initiative, which will significantly boost the collider’s capabilities and enhance the chances of future discoveries.
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