3 December 2024

Thomas Nilsson appointed Scientific Managing Director at GSI and FAIR

The Swedish physicists is now the main scientific representative of both the international research facility FAIR (Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research) and its host institute, the German research facility GSI (Helmholtz Center for Heavy-Ion Research).

The Scientific Managing Director of GSI and FAIR, Professor Thomas Nilsson. Photo: G. Otto, GSI/FAIR

Over the past fifteen years, Thomas Nilsson has held several positions on committees at FAIR and GSI, including serving as the Swedish representative on the FAIR Council, vice-chair of the FAIR Council, and most recently as vice-chair of the Joint Scientific Council of FAIR and GSI. Thomas holds a professorship in experimental subatomic physics at Chalmers University of Technology. Until recently, he was also the Head of the Department of Physics."

Catarina Sahlberg, Programme Director Big Science Sweden, is delighted that Thomas has been appointment as Scientific Managing Director of FAIR and GSI.

“FAIR is a fascinating project, that once operational, will deliver ground-breaking research in physics. However, both FAIR and GSI are facing challenges ahead, especially with the completion of the construction of FAIR and the subsequent move to operations." 

“I have known Thomas for many years, and with his extensive experience and commitment to FAIR, and I am convinced that he is the right person for the job."

FAIR is an international accelerator facility under construction outside of Darmstadt in Germany. The facility is expected to move into operation in a few years. At FAIR, matter that is usually only found in space will be produced to give researchers from all over the world new insights into the structure of matter and the evolution of the universe from the Big Bang to the present.

GSI is a national German research facility that is the host institute of FAIR. At GSI, both fundamental and applied research is performed, in areas such as plasma physics, atomic and subatomic physics, as well as biophysics.