Our people

Sofia is a researcher in the fields of Scientific Computing, Machine Learning and Quantum Computing with applications in High Energy Physics at CERN. PhD in Physics, she has expertise in Machine Learning and Deep Learning. Currently, she focuses on the intersection between AI and Quantum Computing.

She is the coordinator of the CERN Quantum Technology Initiative, leading a team dedicated to the investigation of the potential impact of quantum technologies in High Energy Physics.

Sofia also leads the Computing and Data Science section in the IT Department at CERN.

Maurizio Pierini is an Italian experimental particle physicist at CERN, where he has been a member of the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) collaboration since 2007. He works in CERN’s Experimental Physics Department and has built a broad research program focused on the exploration of physics beyond the Standard Model using proton–proton collision data from the Large Hadron Collider. His scientific interests include searches for new particles and phenomena – such as supersymmetry, dark matter, and exotic resonances – as well as the development of innovative strategies to handle the enormous data rates produced by the CMS detector.

In the last decade, Maurizio has coordinated activities related to advancing real-time data processing and machine-learning techniques for particle physics, contributing to the integration of deep learning methods into reconstruction and analysis workflows. Since 2025, he has been responsible for the quantum sensing and metrology activities within CERN QTI. 

Clara Murgui is a researcher in theoretical particle physics whose work focuses on physics beyond the Standard Model. Her research spans top-down approaches that connect new physics with experimental signatures, as well as innovative techniques aimed at extending the reach of experiments at low energies. More recently, she has explored the use of quantum sensing to detect elusive particles. She works at CERN as a staff researcher and serves as the QTI contact to CERN-TH.

Sergio Calatroni is a CERN Principal Applied Physicist, with more than thirty years of experience and leadership at the crossroads of superconductivity, vacuum and surface science, thin film and RF technologies.

His current focus is to support the emergence of a new generation of experiments and experimental techniques based on technologies developed for particle accelerators. Quantum sensing and metrology are an integral part of these developments. 

Annick is a Dutch quantum communication engineer and researcher at CERN. She has a master degree in Applied Physics and Quantum Devices and Quantum Computing from the Delft University of Technology. 

In her current role, she focuses on the development of experimental quantum networking infrastructure, working on the distribution and characterization of entangled photon pairs in multiplexed photonic systems. Her work integrates high-precision timing and synchronization using White Rabbit (WR) technology to enable scalable quantum communication architectures.