Physicist awarded prestigious Fellowship to investigate quark-gluon plasma
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Dr Jaime Norman, from the University of Liverpool’s Department of Physics, has been awarded a prestigious Ernest Rutherford Fellowship by the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).
The Fellowship, one of the UK’s most esteemed awards for early-career researchers in physics, will enable Dr Norman to investigate the quark-gluon plasma—the hottest substance ever created in a laboratory and the state of matter believed to have existed just moments after the Big Bang.
As part of his research, Dr Norman will design and conduct novel scattering experiments to probe the internal structure of the quark-gluon plasma. His work aims to understand how the fundamental components of this extreme form of matter give rise to its collective, bulk properties.
The project will utilise data from the ALICE experiment at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN, where high-energy lead-ion collisions recreate tiny, short-lived droplets of quark-gluon plasma—offering a rare glimpse into the conditions of the early universe.
Commenting on his award, Dr Norman said: “I am thrilled to be awarded this prestigious fellowship and to be launching this exciting research programme at the University of Liverpool. Quark-gluon plasma is a fascinating form of exotic matter and studying it will deepen our understanding of the universe’s earliest moments and how the visible matter we see today came into being.”
Beyond research, Dr Norman is a passionate mentor and science communicator, committed to inclusive research environments and outreach that blends physics with art and music.
He is one of seven new recipients of the Ernest Rutherford Fellowship, one of the UK’s most prestigious awards for emerging science leaders. The Fellowships support exceptional early-career researchers in particle physics, astronomy, and nuclear physics, providing them with the resources to lead cutting-edge research and establish themselves as future leaders in their fields.
Professor Grahame Blair, Executive Director of Research Programmes at STFC, said: “One of the joys of reading through the proposals of our latest Ernest Rutherford Fellows is learning what excites the researchers who are aiming to make tomorrow’s big physics breakthroughs.
We receive many, exceptionally high-quality applications for this fellowship and it is exceedingly difficult each year to decide on the successful awardees. STFC are very proud of the achievements of all our previous Fellows and we look forward to following the progress of this latest cohort as they reaffirm the UK’s place as a leader in physics and astronomy research.
Congratulations to the 2025 Ernest Rutherford Fellows and good luck in your research endeavours.”
For more information on the Ernest Rutherford Fellowships, visit the STFC website.