Prof. Tejinder (Jim) Virdee is Professor of Physics at Imperial College London and one of the founding figures of the CMS (Compact Muon Solenoid) experiment at CERN’s Large Hadron Collider (LHC). A world-leading experimental particle physicist, he played a pivotal role in the design, construction, and leadership of the CMS detector, which was central to the discovery of the Higgs boson in 2012.

He has authored over 1,000 scientific publications and is a Fellow of the Royal Society, the Institute of Physics, and the European Academy of Sciences (EurASc). His outstanding contributions to science have earned him numerous international honours, including a knighthood (KBE) conferred by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in 2014.

🏅 Blaise Pascal Medal in Physics in 2020
Awarded in recognition of his exceptional leadership and contributions to high-energy experimental physics, culminating in the discovery of the Higgs boson.

Prof. Luís Oliveira e Silva has served as Officer of the Physics Division since May 2025, for the mandate May 1st, 2025 – April 30th, 2028 (current and first term, in accordance with the EurASc Bylaws).