Established in 2022 by Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, this award honors the memory of Prof. Bruno Touschek for his pioneering work in the fields of elementary particle physics and particle accelerators. It recognizes contributions in the fields of fundamental interactions of matter, such as elementary particle physics, nuclear physics, cosmology and the physics of particle beams.
We extend our warmest congratulations to the exceptional finalists of the 2024 edition:
Simone Michele Mazza
Luigi Marchese
Antonella Palmese
Watch the finalists present their innovative research at the Symposium on October 23, 8am PST, before a jury chaired by Prof. Patrizia Rossi of Jefferson Laboratory. Register here!
The winner will be announced at the ISSNAF 2023 Annual Event in Washington, DC, on November 14.
SIMONE MAZZA
I'm an Assistant Research Scientist at the Santa Cruz Institute for Particle Physics (SCIPP) at University of California Santa Cruz (UCSC). My current physics research plan is mainly focused on the study of lepton flavor universality by the observation of rare pion decays, I’m very involved in an emerging pion decay experiment, the PIONEER experiment, that will run at the PiE-5 pion beam line at the Paul Scherrer Institut (PSI). For PIONEER, I’m developing the high granularity active target (ATAR). I'm also very interested in the physics at the Electron-Ion Collider (EIC) that is going to be built at Brookhaven national Laboratories (BNL). For the EPIC detector at EIC I'm leading on the silicon sensor development for the timing layer at UCSC. My expertise is silicon sensors and, in particular, ultra-fast silicon sensors known as low gain avalanche detectors (LGADs) that allow a timing resolution per hit down to 20 ps. I have been organizing the Cal-bridge mentoring program for a few years and I’m currently in the PIONEER DEI committee. In my free time, I love surfing and mountain biking in the beautiful Santa Cruz county.
Research Focus
We are currently at a crossroads in particle physics, with no clear direction for the future. The discovery of the Higgs boson seemingly completed the Standard Model, yet growing anomalies—such as the recent g-2 results—are exposing cracks in the theory. This makes it essential for the physics community to push forward, exploring new frontiers. Progress will require both large-scale experiments, like Higgs factories or the Future Circular Collider (FCC-hh), and smaller, precision experiments such as PIONEER. The development of advanced technology will be critical to the success of both approaches.
My research is driven by the quest to discover what lies beyond the Standard Model, and I am developing timing sensors that enable full 4D (x, y, z, t) tracking. My expertise is in Low Gain Avalanche Detectors (LGADs), thin silicon detectors with moderate internal gain and exceptional timing resolution (down to less than 20 ps). One of my key projects, the PIONEER experiment, aims to measure the charged-pion branching ratio to electrons versus muons and the pion beta decay with an order-of-magnitude improvement in precision. I’m confident PIONEER will be a small experiment with a major impact on the field.
In addition, I will introduce the ePIC detector at the Electron-Ion Collider (EIC), highlighting its physics program and the crucial role of fast timing to meet its performance goals. I will also provide a brief outlook on the potential of future colliders.
About me
I moved to the U.S. more than seven years ago and quickly felt at home in Santa Cruz. A few years later, my wife joined me, and we welcomed our beautiful son, Orlando. Now, we’re settled here with a bright future ahead. I love where we live, though I occasionally feel nostalgic for Italy and Milan, where I spent my college years. I visit Italy often and maintain collaborations with Italian universities and research institutes whenever possible.
During my PhD, I focused on the search for extra dimensions and Higgs particles within two-Higgs-doublet models (2HDM). I contributed to the search for spin-0 and spin-2 resonances in the di-photon invariant mass spectrum. Afterward, I transitioned to more hardware-oriented projects at the University of California, Santa Cruz, where I worked on Low Gain Avalanche Detectors (LGADs). While my focus shifted toward hardware, I have continued to dedicate a significant portion of my time to data analysis.
Currently, my main research interest lies in investigating lepton flavor universality violation through the study of rare pion decays. As part of this work, I am leading the development of a fully silicon active target, a key component of the PIONEER experiment. I am also working on the development of novel LGADs and electronics to enhance both spatial and time resolution for the Electron-Ion Collider (EIC).
Throughout my career, I have gained extensive experience in both physics analysis and hands-on laboratory work, as well as in leading teams of researchers and technicians. Looking ahead, I am eager to continue my career in scientific research, which I find both intellectually stimulating and deeply fulfilling.
LUIGI MARCHESE
Raised in Cervinara, Italy, Luigi studied physics at the university of Naples “Federico II”. After some research on gravitational waves at Caltech, Luigi moved to high-energy physics. In 2013, he worked on the CDF experiment at Fermilab (USA) with groups of INFN-Bologna and INFN-Pisa. Later, he worked at Fermilab for about two years. In 2015, Luigi moved to the university of Oxford for his Ph.D. in particle physics, analyzing data collected by the ATLAS experiment of CERN and contributing to data-taking operations at CERN. His research was awarded the “2020 ATLAS Thesis award” and the “2016 Denys Wilkinson award” from Oxford university. In 2020, Luigi moved to ETH Zürich as a postdoctoral researcher working on the CMS experiment at CERN and teaching physics in Zürich. Since 2024 he is a Junior Distinguished Researcher at the Fermilab Large Hadron Collider Physics Center. He was awarded this fellowship to conduct independent research at the Center. Luigi has held several responsibilities in three multi-author collaborations in both physics and hardware groups, and has delivered >40 seminars and talks at international conferences. He is also the creator of the Swiss and Oxford Summer Student Particle Physics Programs for undergraduate students.
Research Focus
“We know this cannot be measured!”—that phrase could perfectly capture the essence of my research in high-energy physics. At ATLAS, I tackled one of the most challenging measurements: the total width of the Higgs boson, a key parameter that could unlock new physics, including potential connections to dark matter. Experimentally, this measurement is extremely difficult because the expected value is about three orders of magnitude smaller than the experimental resolution achievable at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC).
However, through an unconventional approach, I was able to achieve the most precise measurement of this parameter in 2018. Similarly, fifteen years ago, many physicists would have doubted the feasibility of testing lepton-flavor universality using B mesons at CMS. By selecting the right process and developing dedicated data-selection algorithms, I contributed to CMS publishing competitive results that helped resolve a 12-year-long physics puzzle.
Alongside these measurements, I have worked extensively on detector technology. My contributions to muon reconstruction at ATLAS and ensuring the safety of the 75,000 PbWO4 crystals at CMS have been crucial in achieving high-precision measurements of the Higgs boson mass. Currently, I am working on silicon detectors at Fermilab to ensure the next-generation colliders maintain exceptional performance.
About me
I am an Italian scientist, lecturer, and science communicator with a passion for both physics and outreach. Originally devoted to archaeology, my curiosity and creativity eventually led me to pursue a career in physics. Beyond research, I love engaging the public in science, and I recently led a project using Disney comics to teach children about scientific discoveries. I also coordinate a summer student program in particle physics and was part of a delegation advocating for science at Congress last April.
In my free time, you might find me on an archaeological tour, chasing the northern lights in Iceland, or hiking Mt. Vesuvius. Diversity and science communication are central to my work. I consider myself fortunate to have built a career I love, and I believe it’s part of our mission as scientists to ensure the next generation has the same opportunities. After all, they will be the ones driving the future experiments we propose today.
During my time with the ATLAS collaboration, I served on the ATLAS Early Career Scientist Board, where I helped launch initiatives to foster a more inclusive and connected scientific community. Last year, I also participated in the U.S. delegation advocating for science on Capitol Hill, recognizing that communication with policymakers is essential in a rapidly changing geopolitical landscape.
Science has been a lifelong passion—sparked when I was just six years old, reading the “Topolino” magazine. During the pandemic, I collaborated with colleagues from LIGO, NASA, and the Walt Disney Company on a project to teach children about space exploration and the latest scientific discoveries using Disney characters. One of the highlights? Conducting a "muography" of Uncle Scrooge’s iconic money bin!
ANTONELLA PALMESE
Antonella is an observational cosmologist specializing in the intersection of gravitational wave experiments and large sky surveys. She currently serves as an Assistant Professor in the Physics Department at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where her research group is supported by funding from NASA and the U.S. National Science Foundation.
In 2021, Antonella was awarded the prestigious NASA Einstein Fellowship, which she pursued at the University of California, Berkeley, working under the guidance of Nobel Laureate Prof. Saul Perlmutter. Prior to this, she was a Postdoctoral Research Associate in the Cosmic Physics Center group at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory in Illinois and served as an Affiliate Fellow at the University of Chicago.
Antonella completed her Ph.D. in 2018 at University College London, under the supervision of Prof. Ofer Lahav, and holds both a Bachelor's and a Master's degree from La Sapienza University of Rome.
https://www.cmu.edu/physics/people/faculty/palmese.html https://www.linkedin.com/in/antonella-palmese-0442bb122/
@EllaPalmes on X
Research Focus
My research focuses on cosmological measurements of the Universe's content and expansion through multimessenger approaches. I utilize observations from various "messengers," such as gravitational waves and light, which provide complementary information about their sources and the spacetime between these sources and Earth.
Gravitational waves, which are ripples in spacetime, can currently be detected when two of the Universe's most compact objects—black holes and neutron stars—merge. In certain cases, we can also observe the associated light, known as the "electromagnetic counterpart," from these cosmic collisions using telescopes. In other instances, we can only detect the electromagnetic radiation emanating from the likely host galaxies of these events. By combining data from both gravitational waves and electromagnetic observations, we can constrain the expansion rate of the Universe, particularly its value in the nearby Universe, known as the Hubble constant, through the "standard siren" method.
My primary goal is to leverage standard sirens to address one of modern cosmology's most contentious issues: the "Hubble tension." This tension arises from a discrepancy between two major cosmological probes, and my research aims to provide an independent measurement of the Hubble constant derived from gravitational waves.
About me
Outside of work, I enjoy playing beach volleyball at a competitive level and training in CrossFit and Olympic weightlifting. I have a passion for live music and theater, and whenever I find myself near beautiful waters, I love to go scuba diving
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