We are excited to share that Prof. Johannes Albrecht, a Principal Investigator at the Lamarr Institute and a key figure in the Faculty of Physics at TU Dortmund University, has played a vital role in the recent award of the prestigious “Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics 2025.” This esteemed recognition celebrates outstanding contributions made over the past decade at CERN’s Large Hadron Collider (LHC), the world’s most powerful particle accelerator.
The award ceremony took place in April in Los Angeles, where four major collaborations at the LHC were honored for their groundbreaking work. Prof. Albrecht and his team are actively involved in the LHCb experiment, which focuses on exploring fundamental questions related to matter and antimatter. Their research is crucial for advancing our understanding of these complex phenomena and reflects the high caliber of scientific inquiry fostered at the Lamarr Institute.
With a total prize amount of $3 million, this award will fund scholarships for doctoral students from member institutions, enabling them to conduct research stays at CERN and further their academic careers in particle physics. See also the press release from CERN.
CERN serves as a hub for international scientific collaboration, bringing together over 10,000 researchers from more than 70 countries who work collectively to uncover new particles and investigate known elementary particles’ properties and interactions. The ATLAS experiment—where contributions come from Prof. Kevin Kröninger and Dr. Chris Malena Delitzsch’s groups—is also part of this prestigious accolade.
Looking ahead, plans for a significant upgrade of the LHC by 2030 promise to enhance its discovery potential even further. The research conducted by our teams here at TU Dortmund is foundational for upcoming projects such as the granted excellence cluster “Color meets Flavor,” which aims to deepen our understanding of particle physics through collaborative efforts.
Congratulations to Prof. Johannes Albrecht and all involved! This achievement not only highlights individual dedication but also showcases the Lamarr Institute’s commitment to advancing scientific knowledge on a global scale.
For more information about our research initiatives and ongoing projects at the Lamarr Institute, please visit our physics research area.