Two University of Pretoria researchers, Professors Lerothodi Leeuw and Muaaz Bhamjee, have propelled South Africa into the global scientific spotlight. Their work on CERN’s ATLAS experiment has earned them the prestigious 2025 Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics....Click to Read More >>➤
This award recognizes their significant contributions to one of the world’s most ambitious scientific collaborations. The University of Pretoria is now celebrating this historic international achievement.
South African Scientists Make Global Impact
Professors Leeuw and Bhamjee are key members of SA-ATLAS, South Africa’s team collaborating with CERN’s Large Hadron Collider in Geneva. The LHC, a 27-kilometer underground ring, accelerates particles to near-light speeds to unravel the universe’s fundamental workings.
Through this project, the UP team contributes to two critical areas. They help search for dark matter, the mysterious substance believed to constitute most of the universe. They also work on upgrading the powerful ATLAS detector, which records over a billion particle collisions every second.
Professor Leeuw expressed his excitement about the recognition. “To be part of research and an international team searching for currently unknown particles that constitute dark matter and the related new physics, as well as being involved in the upgrade of equipment to do so, is phenomenal, not to mention the recognition in the 2025 Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics,” he said.
A Triumph of International Collaboration
Professor Bhamjee emphasized that the project’s success stems from unprecedented global teamwork. “It is one of the largest collaborative efforts ever attempted in science,” he noted. The ATLAS collaboration includes over 5,500 members and nearly 3,000 scientific authors from around the world.
The University of Pretoria recently joined the SA-ATLAS collaboration, becoming the ninth South African institution in the program. This initiative is hosted by iThemba LABS under the National Research Foundation. Professor Bhamjee serves as UP’s institutional representative in the collaboration.
He believes this milestone significantly strengthens South Africa’s position in international science. “It represents an exciting step for UP, enabling its researchers to contribute to impactful, transdisciplinary science around the world, while strengthening local collaborations and showcasing African talent on a global scale,” Bhamjee explained.
Inspiring the Next Generation of Physicists
For Professor Leeuw, this recognition adds another remarkable chapter to an already distinguished career. Originally from the Northern Cape, he became the first black South African to earn a Bachelor of Science degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the United States.
Now back in South Africa as the Head of Physics at UP, Professor Leeuw continues his research into how galaxies form and evolve over time. He is using his platform to inspire future generations of physicists across the continent.
Together, Professors Leeuw and Bhamjee represent the powerful intersection of physics and engineering. Their achievement demonstrates how cross-disciplinary teamwork can drive groundbreaking discoveries on the world stage. This award not only honors their individual contributions but also highlights South Africa’s growing role in cutting-edge global research. ...Click to Read More >>➤
