Research at Sussex

Wednesday 16 April 2025

Welcome back to Research at Sussex, a fortnightly round-up of the latest research news, insights and discoveries at the University of Sussex.

As a Sussex member of staff, you are receiving this newsletter directly to your inbox. It is also open to anyone outside the University, so feel free to share it with friends, colleagues, or collaborators who might be interested in keeping up with our latest research highlights. They can subscribe here.

In this edition:

• Scientists win prestigious prize for Higgs boson and new physics research at CERN

• Discover a global digital map preserving Holocaust memory through immersive technology

• Find out how our experts are shaping post-Brexit trade policy with integrity

• Explore powerful stories of resilience, survival and sustainable agriculture in Syria

Sussex scientists win prestigious physics prize

Interior view of the ATLAS detector at CERN's Large Hadron Collider, showing its vast, symmetrical structure with cylindrical components and scaffolding, and a person standing at the base for scale.

Scientists from the University of Sussex are among the winners of the prestigious 2025 Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics, awarded to the ATLAS Collaboration at CERN’s Large Hadron Collider (LHC).

The prize recognises the ATLAS experiment’s groundbreaking contributions to particle physics, particularly through detailed measurements of the Higgs boson and exploration of new physics beyond the Standard Model.

Professor Antonella De Santo, Professor of Physics and ATLAS Team Leader at Sussex, said:
“Our team's work on ATLAS exemplifies the innovation driving ATLAS forward. This recognition affirms the impact of our contributions and inspires us to continue exploring the universe’s most fundamental questions.”

Since 2009, Sussex researchers have played a leading role in ATLAS – one of the world’s most complex scientific instruments. This includes contributing to the experiment’s High-Level Trigger (effectively its brain) and pioneering cutting-edge analysis techniques to study rare particle processes. As the LHC enters its third phase, Sussex’s team of 19 physicists and engineers, including PhD students, is already helping prepare ATLAS for the High-Luminosity LHC upgrade set to begin in 2030. This next chapter promises to bring even more exciting discoveries, with collision rates expected to increase tenfold.

The future of particle physics is bright, and Sussex is committed to being a part of this extraordinary journey – one of the most ambitious scientific endeavours of our time.

Photo credit: CERN, licensed under CC-BY-SA 4.0

Mapping the world’s digital Holocaust memory projects

Dr Kate Marrison standing outside in front of a brick archway, wearing glasses and a black top with a belt.

On Tuesday 15 April, the Landecker Digital Memory Lab launched its digital map of global Holocaust memory – an open-access resource which seeks to capture digital Holocaust memory projects on a global scale.

Launched to coincide with the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Bergen-Belsen, the map identifies projects that integrate a range of new media technologies – from augmented and virtual reality, computer games, 360-degree photography and 3D modelling, to social media and interactive survivor testimony.

Hosted on Padlet, the map is designed to be a simple tool for use by researchers, educators, funders, creators and individuals – serving as a launch pad to further resources.

In a new blog to promote the launch of the digital map, Dr Kate Marrison, Research Fellow at the Landecker Digital Memory Lab, says: “This moment offers an opportunity to look ahead and think critically about the possibilities of our digital futures.

“The map is the precursor to a much larger resource that the Lab is currently developing – the living database-archive. More to come on this soon.”

Read Part 1: Building a Living Database by Dr Kate Marrison on the Landecker Lab blog.

Sussex professor appointed as advisor on new

UK government trade forum

Professor Robert Barrington, wearing a dark suit, light pink shirt, and blue polka dot tie, standing in an office setting.

Professor Robert Barrington, a leading expert in anti-corruption practice and policy, has been appointed to a new government forum advising on post-Brexit free trade agreements.

He joins colleagues from business, academia, and civil society to advise the UK Government on incorporating transparency and anti-corruption measures into new trade agreements with countries around the world.

As the former UK head of the leading anti-corruption NGO Transparency International, and Professor of Anti-Corruption Practice at the Centre for the Study of Corruption (CSC), Professor Barrington has previously advised the government on export credits and reforming the post-Brexit public procurement regime.

“I am delighted to become a member of the Trade and Anti-Corruption Policy Insights Forum,” he said. “Corruption is a blight on people's lives around the world, and trade is an arena in which governments can set the goalposts in a way that helps to reduce corruption. In my role as a Forum member, I will highlight the harm and victims of corruption, and the need for that to be reflected in new trading arrangements.

“Our research at the CSC has demonstrated that high standards of transparency and good anti-corruption procedures can help the economy, the environment, and the lives of ordinary people – as well as providing a more stable operating context for business.”

Professor Barrington said he looks forward to working with Forum members and government colleagues as the UK enters a key phase of international negotiations.

Stories of struggle, resilience and sustainable agriculture in Syria

Traditional flatbreads rest on a clay oven outdoors in rural Syria, surrounded by palm fronds and earthy walls, symbolising resilience and sustainable food practices.

Two new podcast series produced by Dr Mirela Barbu and Professor Martin Spinelli from the Sussex Sustainability Research Programme highlight the resilience of Syrians and the role of NGOs during the country’s ongoing conflict.

Phoenix Stories: Sustainable Development Post-Conflict explores the challenges and achievements of humanitarian organisations like Global Communities and Welthungerhilfe (WHH) in Northwest Syria. Across 12 episodes, NGO managers share insights into rebuilding infrastructure, promoting climate-smart agriculture, and delivering sustainable livelihoods amid political instability and broken public services. The series was supported by an Engagement Facilitation Fund (EFF) grant from the University of Sussex Business School and produced by Ruth Holroyd, with Professor Spinelli as host and Dr Barbu as Executive Producer.

Meanwhile, Heart to Hearth: Stories of Syrian Food and Resilience gives voice to Syrian women from diverse ethnic and regional backgrounds. Across 15 Arabic-language episodes (with English transcripts), women share powerful stories of survival, identity, and the central role of food and agriculture in their lives. Hosted by Sarah Burhan and produced in collaboration with Dr Shaher Abdullateef of Syrian Academic Expertise, this series forms part of the Harvesting Hope project, funded by the International Development Challenge Fund (IDCF).

Read the full blog by Edwin Gilson.

Photo credit: Syrian Academic Expertise

Sussex in the media

Sussex experts continue to contribute to one of the biggest global issues of the moment – US trade tariffs. Media interviews with Professors Emily Lydgate, Michael Gasiorek, Alan Winters, and others featured on Sky News, BBC World News, Times Radio and in the Financial Times, Business Telegraph and Bloomberg coverage. Their analysis highlights the likely inflationary impact, risks to global markets, and the limited room for UK retaliation.

Ahead of the London Marathon, BBC Online and BBC South East featured the inspiring story of Sussex student Tommy Rowlingson, first shared in an interview on BBC London 94.9. Paralysed at age 19, Tommy is now set to run to raise money for the Spinal Injuries Association, in a moving story of resilience and recovery.

ITV Meridian spoke to Dr Marie Claire Brisbois (SPRU, Faculty of Social Sciences) about proposed electric vehicle taxes. She warned the changes could hit air quality targets in cities and penalise those trying to switch to greener transport.

And finally, the University hosted the UK’s first national kelp summit, covered by BBC South Today, BBC London News and The Argus. The event explored efforts to restore kelp forests off the Sussex coast, placing the University at the heart of marine sustainability and climate action.

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