Submitted by Vanessa Bismuth on Thu, 07/11/2024 - 13:13
British physicist Mark Thomson, Professor of Experimental Particle Physics at the Cavendish, will be the next Director-General of CERN, the world's leading particle physics facility. His five-year mandate will begin on 1 January 2026.
“Built on long-term European collaboration, CERN is a beacon of scientific excellence and innovation, providing global leadership in research at its most fundamental level,” said Professor Thomson. “CERN’s mission is to unravel the mysteries of the universe, contributing to our collective pursuit of knowledge. CERN’s exciting future promises groundbreaking research and discoveries that will shape our understanding of physics and, in doing so, inspire future generations of young scientists. I am honoured to become CERN’s Director-General and am committed to pursuing the Organisation’s scientific mission, further developing technologies that will benefit society as a whole, while uniting nations in a shared commitment to advancing science for the betterment of humanity.”
"Congratulations to Professor Mark Thomson on his appointment to CERN’s lead role from January 2026,” said Professor Mete Atatüre, Head of the Cavendish Laboratory. “We are truly confident in the transformative impact his leadership will have on this crucial area of research, tackling some of the most foundational scientific questions of modern times.”
Professor Thomson is currently the Executive Chair of the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) in the United Kingdom and a Professor of Experimental Particle Physics at Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge. He has dedicated much of his career to CERN, where he initially contributed to precision measurements of the W and Z bosons in the 1990s, as part of the OPAL experiment at CERN’s Large Electron–Positron Collider. At CERN’s Large Hadron Collider (LHC), he has been a member of the ATLAS collaboration.
Since completing his doctorate in particle physics at the University of Oxford, Professor Thomson has played a significant role in advancing neutrino physics and research for future colliders. Notably, he served as co-spokesperson for the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE), a collaborative project led by Fermilab, which CERN supports through its neutrino platform and the construction of large cryostats to be installed deep underground in South Dakota. He has also played a pivotal role in the design and optimisation of detectors for future colliders, particularly for linear electron–positron colliders such as the International Linear Collider (ILC) and the Compact Linear Collider (CLIC).
Mark Thomson is credited in over 1000 publications and authored the widely adopted textbook Modern Particle Physics, used in universities globally. Beyond his research, he has held various research leadership and oversight roles at national and international level, including serving as the UK delegate to CERN’s Council since 2018.
Adapted from the CERN news story.
Image: Mark Thomson. Credit: CERN