Professor Thomas Nilsson is the new Scientific Managing Director of FAIR and GSI

GSI, press release, 2nd December 2024

The renowned Swedish experimental physicist Professor Thomas Nilsson took up the position of the Scientific Managing Director at the GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung GmbH and the Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research in Europe (FAIR) GmbH on December 1, 2024. With his comprehensive experience and internationally recognized expertise, Professor Thomas Nilsson will play a leading role in shaping the scientific development of the research facility and the international accelerator center FAIR which is currently under construction. He succeeds Professor Paolo Giubellino, who has been appointed as President of Scientific Commission III at the National Research Association of Nuclear Physics INFN in Italy. Professor Thomas Nilsson was Head of the Physics Department at Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg before starting his position in Darmstadt. He is also a member of the Physics Class of the prestigious Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, which is responsible for selecting Nobel Prize laureates.

As Scientific Managing Director, Professor Thomas Nilsson is in charge of the entire scientific division of GSI and FAIR, and he is also the Spokesperson of the Management Board. Together with the Administrative Managing Director Dr. Katharina Stummeyer and the Technical Managing Director Jörg Blaurock, he forms the joint management board of GSI and FAIR and ensures the implementation of the strategic goals: To conduct international cutting-edge research on site, to realize the future FAIR accelerator facility in international cooperation and to also modernize the campus and the existing facilities.

“I am very much looking forward to actively advance the scientific development of GSI and FAIR in close collaboration with the international partners and an outstanding team of researchers. For decades, GSI has stood for excellent, internationally renowned cutting-edge research. The FAIR accelerator center will expand the global scale of research in a forward-looking way. My particular focus is on optimally promoting research work at GSI and FAIR through strategic planning and on offering researchers ideal conditions for outstanding scientific achievements. I would like to express my heartfelt thanks for the trust placed in me,” said Professor Thomas Nilsson on taking office.

With the appointment of Professor Thomas Nilsson, the international selection committee, consisting of representatives of the GSI Supervisory Board and the FAIR Council as well as renowned scientists, has gained an outstanding leader. The managing directors Dr. Katharina Stummeyer and Jörg Blaurock are looking forward to working together with their new colleague and emphasize: “GSI and FAIR will benefit significantly from Thomas Nilsson's broad scientific and strategic expertise. He is recognized worldwide for his research in the scientific fields relevant to FAIR and GSI. In addition, he has been closely associated with GSI and FAIR through his dedicated work on various committees for a long time. The decision to appoint Professor Nilsson as new Scientific Managing Director is an excellent choice. Together we will continue to successfully shape the future of GSI and FAIR.”

Professor Thomas Nilsson studied Engineering Physics at Chalmers University of Technology and was a PhD student at the former TH (now TU) in Darmstadt, among others. From 1998 to 2004, he worked as a physics coordinator at the ISOLDE facility at the CERN research center in Switzerland, where he was also deputy group leader of the ISOLDE physics group. From 2005 to 2006, he worked as a researcher at TU Darmstadt and Chalmers University. At Chalmers University, he has been a full professor in physics since 2009 and Head of the Physics Department and part of the university management group since 2017.

In his research, Professor Thomas Nilsson focuses on how fundamental types of interactions manifest in subatomic systems, in particular in nuclei with large excesses of neutrons or protons, where exotic structures and properties emerge. His research is carried out with experiments using facilities providing beams of exotic nuclei, like CERN (ISOLDE facility) in Switzerland or GSI/FAIR in Darmstadt. He plays a significant role in the development of such facilities and the connected instrumentation, in particular at FAIR. 

With his projects and commitment, the renowned scientist not only makes important contributions to physics and research infrastructures, but also has extensive experience in the strategic planning of large research projects and international collaborations. He took on scientific tasks in advisory bodies and program committees, for example, at the Canadian National Accelerator Center TRIUMF and at the RIKEN Research Center in Japan.

Professor Thomas Nilsson has been significantly involved in the FAIR project for a long time. Now he will develop it further from a different perspective. He has already served in various positions on the FAIR Council and as a member of the GSI Supervisory Board. He has also been Vice-Chair of the Joint Scientific Council of FAIR and Chair of the Scientific Advisory Board of GSI since 2020. With his deep understanding of the international research landscape and his ability to develop and implement complex scientific strategies, Professor Thomas Nilsson will make a valuable contribution to the future of FAIR and GSI.