Keynote speakers
Anne L’Huillier
Lund Attosecond Science Center/Division of Atomic Physics, Department of Physics, Lund University, Sweden
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Jointly winning the Wolf Prize in Physics 2022 correctly predicted a well-deserved Nobel Prize win in 2023 for experimental methods that generate attosecond pulses of light for the study of electron dynamics in matter. Anne L’Huilier and her group have been at the forefront of creating laser sources with shorter and shorter pulses – now down to tens/hundred of attoseconds – with an ultimate goal of studying fundamental quantum phenomena in matter.
Her research spans both the theoretical aspects of ultra-short light beams, pulse shaping and higher harmonic generation, as well as diving into the practical aspects of combining attosecond laser pulses with high output power and subsequently using them for (pump-probe) photelectron spectroscopy and imaging techniques. In fact, one of the current projects is exploring the creation of a ‘high-intensity XUV beamline’ allowing the study of non-linear phenomena in atoms. A development that is reminiscent of how femtosecond FEL sources created new, complementary time-resolved tools with respect to ‘continuous’ synchrotrons beams.
Sushil Sharma
Senior Advisor, Brookhaven National Laboratory, USA
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Sushil Sharma is a leading expert in mechanical engineering for synchrotron light sources, with a career spanning over four decades. He played a foundational role in the creation of MEDSI, establishing it as an international platform for mechanical engineers working on accelerator and beamline technologies.
His extensive experience includes leadership roles at Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) and Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), where he was responsible for designing and developing critical mechanical subsystems for major synchrotron facilities, including NSLS, NSLS-II, APS, and LCLS. His contributions range from pioneering mechanical stability solutions to the development of high-heat-load absorbers, magnet assemblies, and precision alignment techniques. He is also a co-inventor of multiple U.S. patents related to vacuum components for accelerator applications.
Now serving as Senior Advisor at BNL, Sharma continues to contribute to mechanical R&D and strategic initiatives in the field of synchrotron radiation instrumentation.
Saša Zelenika
Vice Rector for Strategic Projects, University of Rijeka, Croatia
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Prof. Saša Zelenika is a Full Professor with Tenure at the University of Rijeka, Faculty of Engineering, and Vice-Rector for Strategic Projects. He leads innovation and knowledge valorization activities and heads the EDIH Adria European Digital Innovation Hub and the Innovation Council of the HE INNO2MARE Excellence Hub. He has also contributed to the University’s open science and AI policies.
Prof. Zelenika has had a distinguished career, having previously served as Assistant Minister for Science and Deputy Minister at the Croatian Ministry of Science, Education, and Sports. He has authored over 220 publications, including two textbooks, a patent, and numerous outreach articles and talks, and has been involved in 11 EU FP projects.
His professional journey began at Sincrotrone Trieste (Elettra SR facility) in Italy (1991-1996), followed by a tenure at the Paul Scherrer Institut in Switzerland (1998-2005), where he led the Mechanical Engineering Group for the Swiss Light Source project. In 2000, he co-initiated the MEDSI conference series.
Aymeric Robert
Senior Advisor, MAX IV Laboratory, Sweden
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Dr. Aymeric Robert is a physicist with deep expertise in X-ray coherence, photon correlation spectroscopy, and accelerator-based light sources. He currently serves as Senior Advisor at MAX IV Laboratory, Sweden, where he also leads the science case for MAX 4U, the proposed upgrade of the 3 GeV storage ring.
He earned his Ph.D. in physics from Joseph Fourier University in 2001, supported by a fellowship from the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF). As part of the ESRF team, he was among the pioneers of X-ray Photon Correlation Spectroscopy (XPCS), a technique that has since become key to studying the dynamics of disordered systems.
From 2007 to 2012, he joined SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory to help develop the X-ray Correlation Spectroscopy (XCS) instrument at the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS), the world’s first hard X-ray Free Electron Laser. He later served as Department Head for Hard X-rays (2012) and Deputy Director of the LCLS Science Division (2015). In 2021, he joined MAX IV as Scientific Director for Physical Sciences, guiding the strategic development of synchrotron-based science.
Dr. Robert continues to champion X-ray coherence techniques as powerful tools for advancing fundamental and applied research at MAX IV and beyond.
Nick Gazis
Group Leader, Mechanical Engineering, Technology & Analysis (META), European Spallation Source (ESS), Sweden
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Nick Gazis is an expert in mechanical and materials engineering, engineering design, and scientific project management, with a strong background in particle accelerator technology and applied physics. He leads the Mechanical Engineering, Technology & Analysis (META) Group at the European Spallation Source (ESS), heads the Mechanical Measurements Laboratory (MML), and serves as Work Package Manager for WP2 Engineering & Infrastructure in the ESSnuSB+ neutrino upgrade project.
Holding an MSc in Mechanical & Aeronautics Engineering and a PhD from Université Grenoble-Alpes (UGA) and the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), Gazis began his career at EPFL’s Laboratory of Applied Mechanics and Reliability Analysis (LMAF) before joining CERN, where he contributed to the CMS detector, the LHC and SPS accelerators, and the CLIC study. At ESS, he has held key roles as Engineering Leader and Installation Manager for the proton accelerator before transitioning to his current leadership position in the Central Engineering Division.
Pedro Fernandes Tavares
Accelerator Director, MAX IV Laboratory, Sweden
Read more about Pedro Fernandes Tavares
Dr. Pedro Fernandes Tavares is a leading expert in accelerator physics, with decades of experience in the design, construction, and operation of synchrotron light sources. He currently serves as Accelerator Director at MAX IV Laboratory in Sweden, home to the world’s first fourth-generation synchrotron.
Pedro began his career at the Brazilian Synchrotron Light Laboratory (LNLS) in 1987 and earned his Ph.D. in Accelerator Physics from the University of Campinas in 1994, based on experimental work conducted at CERN. At LNLS, he played a key role in developing the first synchrotron light source in the southern hemisphere and later led the design and construction of a 500 MeV booster synchrotron injector, while serving in multiple leadership roles, including Accelerator Director.
Following a sabbatical at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Pedro joined MAX IV Laboratory in 2010 as the project leader for the construction and commissioning of the MAX IV synchrotron—a milestone in accelerator technology. Since 2016, he has directed accelerator operations and development at the facility.
His research interests include collective effects in high-energy electron beams, synchrotron light source optimization, and linear accelerators for free-electron lasers. He is currently coordinating a multidisciplinary team to develop MAX4U, the proposed upgrade of the 3 GeV storage ring at MAX IV.