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CERN CMS detector. Credit: CERN

The Particle Physics Department

The Particle Physics Department (PPD) at STFC drives world-class experiments that probe the fundamental structure of matter and the forces that shape our Universe. By designing and operating cutting-edge detectors, accelerators, and data-analysis tools, PPD supports the UK particle physics community and collaborates internationally to deliver discoveries that expand knowledge, inspire innovation, and create lasting scientific and societal impact.

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What makes us unique

PPD combines world-leading expertise, national facilities, and global partnerships to tackle the deepest questions in physics.

From designing and building advanced detectors to operating large-scale experiments at RAL, CERN, and beyond, PPD offers the UK particle physics community unrivalled access to cutting-edge technology, data, and scientific collaboration, turning bold ideas into discoveries that shape our understanding of the Universe.

Locations

Four scientists working in the Main Hall of Boulby Underground Laboratory.

Boulby Underground Laboratory

Boulby Underground Laboratory, 1.1 km beneath Boulby Mine, provides one of the world’s rare ultra-low background environments, almost entirely free from cosmic interference.
Aerial view of Rutherford Appleton Laboratory

Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (RAL)

Located on Harwell Campus near Oxfordshire, RAL is a multidisciplinary research hub with over 60 years of scientific and engineering excellence.

Partnering with CERN

PPD collaborates closely with CERN, home of the Large Hadron Collider, to design, build, and operate world-leading experiments. UK scientists at PPD contribute to the ATLAS, CMS, and LHCb experiments, helping to explore the fundamental constituents of matter and search for new physics.

Explore CERN resources
Large Hadron Collider at CERN. Credit: CERN

Our history

1946

Foundation of the Atomic Energy Research Establishment (AERE) Harwell, under John Cockcroft; early accelerator development including the Harwell Synchrocyclotron and proton linear accelerators

1947

GLEEP, the first nuclear reactor in Western Europe, begins operation at Harwell

1954

CERN founded, with the UK as a founding member, initiating long-term European collaboration in particle physics

1957

Formation of the National Institute for Research in Nuclear Sciences (NIRNS) and establishment of the Rutherford High Energy Laboratory (RHEL) at Harwell; construction of the NIMROD proton synchrotron begins

1961–1962

Establishment of the Atlas Computer Laboratory and commissioning of Ferranti Atlas, then the world’s most powerful computer

1964

NIMROD synchrotron becomes operational (7 GeV), enabling a major UK experimental particle physics programme

1964–1979

NIMROD era: extensive university participation; experiments probing proton interactions and contributing to the emerging quark model and Standard Model

1973

Development of the Rutherford superconducting cable, a key advance for accelerator magnets and future MRI technology

1975

Establishment of the Central Laser Facility at RHEL, reflecting increasing interdisciplinarity

1979

NIMROD switched off; Rutherford and Appleton Laboratories merge to form the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (RAL)

1983

Discovery of the W and Z bosons at CERN, with major contributions from PPD collaborators (UA1)

1984

ISIS spallation neutron source begins operation, reusing NIMROD infrastructure

1992

PPD becomes a founding member of ATLAS and CMS at the LHC

~2000

Start of dark-matter experiments at Boulby Underground Laboratory (ZEPLIN programme)

2012

Discovery of the Higgs boson by the ATLAS and CMS collaborations

Our team

Team member

Abanti Ranadhir Sahasransu

Physicist
Team member

Abdeslem Djaoui

Physicist
Team member

Alessandra Latham

Physicist
Team member

Alex Rogovskiy

Physicist
Team member

Alice Hamer

Physicist
Team member

Alison Elliot

Physicist
Team member

Andra Pirvu

Project manager
Team member

Anna Holin

Neutrino Group Leader
Team member

Antonis Papanestis

LHCb Group Leader
headshot of Dr Ashlea Kemp, UKRI Future Leaders Fellow

Ashlea Kemp

Physicist
Team member

Atanu Modak

Physicist
Team member

Austin Ball

Physicist
Team member

Ben Smart

Physicist
Team member

Benjamin Kerridge

Physicist
Team member

Beth Green

Physicist
Team member

Bill Murray

Physicist
Team member

Brij Kishor Jashal

Physicist
Team member

Bruce Gallop

Physicist
Team member

Caitlin McCaugherty

Project Manager
Team member

Chris Brew

Grid Site Manager
Team member

Christopher Toth

Physicist
Team member

Christopher Townsley

Project Office Leader
Team member

Claire Shepherd-Themistocleous

CMS Group Leader
Team member

Craig Sawyer

ATLAS Group Leader
Team member

David Kelsey

Computing Group Leader
Team member

David Petyt

Senior Scientist
Team member

Debra Dewhurst

Physicist
Team member

Dmitry Emeliyanov

Physicist
Team member

Edd Dibley

Physicist
Team member

Emma Meehan

Facilities, Operations and Outreach Manager
Team member

Emmanuel Olaiya

Physicist
Team member

Federico Nova

Physicist
Team member

Fergus Wilson

Physicist
Team member

Fred Wickens

Physicist
Team member

Gary Mottershead

Physicist
Team member

George Pinkney

Physicist
Team member

Giulio Villani

Physicist
Team member

Glenn Patrick

Physicist
Team member

Henrique Araujo

Physicist
Team member

Ian Tomalin

Physicist
Team member

Isobel Sargeant

Physicist
Team member

Ivana Hristova

Physicist
Team member

Jacob Linacre

Physicist
Team member

James Frost

Physicist
Team member

Jens Dopke

Physicist
Team member

Joanna Thompson

Head of UK Liaison Office
Team member

Joe McLaughlin

Physicist
Team member

Jonathan Gutteridge

Engagement Officer
Team member

Julia Puputti

Physicist
Team member

Julie Kirk

Physicist
Team member

Jyoti Prakash Biswal

Physicist
Team member

Kate McCullough

Administrator
Team member

Kate Whalen

Physicist
Team member

Katy Ellis

Physicist
Team member

Kevin Dunford

Systems Administrator
Team member

Kevin Lester

Health, Safety and Environment Manager
Team member

Konstantinos Manolopoulos

Physicist
Team member

Kristian Harder

Physicist
Team member

Lei Zhang

Project Manager
Team member

Liban Warsame

Physicist
Team member

Linda Cornwall

Physicist
Team member

Lisa Wootton

Project Manager
Team member

Louise Yeoman

Physicist
Team member

Luke Pickering

Physicist
Team member

Maaike Bloem

Physicist
Team member

Mark Tucker

Physicist
Team member

Maurits van der Grinten

Physicist
Team member

Monika Wielers

Physicist
Team member

Paul Scovell

Senior Scientist
Team member

Pawel Majewski

Physicist
Team member

Peter Phillips

Physicist
Team member

Rhys Owen

Physicist
Team member

Robert Smith

Physicist
Team member

Robin Middleton

Physicist
Team member

Sajan Easo

Physicist
Team member

Sally Dixon

Administrator
Team member

Sam Harper

Physicist
Team member

Sammy Valder

Physicist
Team member

Sandeep Gopalam

Project Manager
Team member

Sean Paling

Boulby Laboratory Director
Team member

Sean Robinson

System Administrator
Team member

Sergey Balashov

Physicist
Team member

Sinead Farrington

Director of Particle Physics
Team member

Stefania Ricciardi

Physicist
Team member

Stephen Burke

Physicist
Team member

Steve McMahon

Physicist
Team member

Stewart Martin-Haugh

Physicist
Team member

Suzanne Armstrong

Executive Assistant to the Boulby Laboratory Director
Team member

Tai-Hua Lin

Physicist
Team member

Terry Cornford

Administrator
Team member

Thomas Reis

Physicist
Team member

Thomas Schuh

Physicist
Team member

Thomas Williams

Physicist
Team member

Tim Adye

Physicist
Team member

Tim Martin

Physicist
Team member

Toby Cunniffe

Physicist
Team member

Tom Longman

System Administrator
Team member

Tom Williams

Physicist
Team member

Tomislav Vladisavljevic

Physicist
Team member

Tracy Prescott

Executive Assistant to the Director of Particle Physics
Team member

Will Buttinger

Physicist
Team member

Will Panduro Vazquez

Physicist
Team member

Zhige (Gary) Zhang

Physicist

Our impact

15+

Joint PhD studentships completed since 2019

5

Contributions to experiments underpinning Nobel Prizes, including the Higgs boson discovery

20+

Delivered detector components for over 20 major particle physics experiments since 1957

News and insights

Old data, new insights: Restoration and renewed investigation of Bubble chamber data

Explore the remarkable work of Dr Andy Chisholm, an academic at the University of Birmingham, who is leading an effort to digitise historic bubble chamber film data.

DNA of superconducting magnets: Rutherford cable

An innovation from Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Rutherford Cable made powerful superconducting magnets feasible, shaping technologies from medical imaging to the Large Hadron Collider.

The LhARA initiative; how physics can guide biology to deliver better cancer care

The multidisciplinary LhARA collaboration is developing a cutting-edge facility designed to serve as a versatile research platform. This future facility will support an extensive radiobiological research programme.

Muon collider: potential, challenges and pathways forward

The particle physics community is exploring post-LHC collider facilites, with the muon collider emerging as a promising candidate.

Unravelling the web: how particle physics launched the invention that changed the world

The World Wide Web is an example of an ground-breaking invention that has stemmed from particle physics. This article details its origins, RAL's early adoption and the infleunce particle physics...

The past, present and future of UK – CERN collaboration

In commemoration of CERN’s 70th anniversary, this article will reflect upon the UK wide contribution to CERN from its founding to ongoing HL-LHC upgrades. This shining example of scientific collaboration...

The first steps towards a next generation dark matter detector

Work begins for XLZD, an international collaboration tasked with building a next generation dark matter detector. STFC plays a major role within this collaboration's preliminary design phase.

LUX-ZEPLIN announces new results in search for dark matter

The world's most sensitive WIMP dark matter detector, LUX-ZEPLIN, has announced new results in its search for dark matter. These new results imposes further constraints on WIMP candidates.

Contact PPD

Get in touch to push the boundaries of particle physics with world-leading expertise and facilities.




    Team member