�鶹��ѡ

Professor Cristina Lazzeroni, Leader of the Particle Physics Group at the University �鶹��ѡ, is among 95 outstanding researchers from across the world elected to the Fellowship of the Royal Society, the UK’s national academy of sciences.

Professor Lazzeroni is an experimentalist who makes key contributions to intricate studies of kaon physics. Results include precise measurements of matter-antimatter asymmetry in kaon decays, and first observation of the ultra-rare decay of a charged kaon to a pion and two neutrinos. These results test the Standard Model of particle physics and constrain new physical interactions at high energy.

Her research in kaon physics has been in experiments at CERN, first NA48 and then NA62. Professor Lazzeroni has had lead roles in both, including a period of four years as NA62 Spokesperson, coordinating around 300 researchers, from 30 institutes, in 15 countries.

She also leads initiatives to make contemporary particle physics accessible to a broad public. Professor Lazzeroni organises interactive exhibits at science festivals, gives talks to diverse audiences, and is involved in international projects for schools. For contributions to public engagement, she was awarded the Lise Meitner Medal of the Institute of Physics.

Professor Lazzeroni commented: “The Royal Society has had an important influence on my career. I’ve received encouragement and advice from its Fellows, I’ve been supported through a Royal Society University Research Fellowship, and I’ve gained all manner of useful skills through organising exhibits at multiple editions of the Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition.

“I feel honoured to have been elected to the Fellowship. Research in particle physics is very much a collaborative endeavour. I’m incredibly grateful to the many, many people who’ve been with me in this adventure.”

Also among this year’s elected Fellows is University �鶹��ѡ alumnus and Honorary Professor Graham Machin – Professor at the National Physical Laboratory and expert in thermometry, who has helped redefine the kelvin thermodynamic temperature measurement and the development of high temperature fixed points as next-generation temperature.

Professor Machin and his team have made significant contributions to the science of temperature measurement, including novel traceable surface thermometry techniques for a wide range of harsh environments and reliable thermometry in a range of health care settings.

He commented: “It is a great honour to have my work recognised through being elected a Fellow of the Royal Society. I gladly acknowledge the contribution of my dedicated temperature group colleagues without whom I would not have achieved all that I have”

During his career Professor Machin has published more than 270 papers, and his research is currently focused on next generation primary thermometry, especially photonic and quantum-based approaches.

Professor Machin serves as the UK representative on the CIPM Consultative Committee for Thermometry (CCT), is the past chair of Euramet Technical Committee for Thermometry (2014-2018) and past President of the Institute of Measurement and Control (InstMC) (2018-2019).

He was conferred D.Sc “Improvements in Temperature Measurement” (University �鶹��ѡ, 2015) and awarded the Institute of Measurement and Control “Sir Harold Hartley” “for outstanding contributions to the technology of measurement and control” (2021).

This year’s cohort of Royal Society Fellows include trailblazers across a wide range of fields, from artificial intelligence and electron microscopy to global health and neuroscience. They join the ranks of Stephen Hawking, Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin, Albert Einstein, Lise Meitner, Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar and Dorothy Hodgkin.

Sir Adrian Smith, President of the Royal Society, said: “It is with great pleasure that I welcome the latest cohort of outstanding researchers into the Fellowship of the Royal Society.

“Their achievements represent the very best of scientific endeavour, from basic discovery to research with real-world impact across health, technology and policy. From tackling global health challenges to reimagining what AI can do for humanity, their work is a testament to the power of curiosity-driven research and innovation.

“The strength of the Fellowship lies not only in individual excellence, but in the diversity of backgrounds, perspectives and experiences each new member brings. This cohort represents the truly global nature of modern science and the importance of collaboration in driving scientific breakthroughs.”