Accelerator prizes

Elena Shaposhnikova received her PhD from Moscow State University in 1983 and worked on beam dynamics for a linear accelerator at the Institute of Nuclear Research (Russian Academy of Sciences) until 1991. She then joined the RF Group at CERN, where she studied intensity limitations and played a key role in preparing the SPS as an injector for the LHC. From 2005 to 2019, Elena led the Beams and RF section, focusing on longitudinal beam performance in different CERN accelerators to reach first LHC and then High-Luminosity LHC parameters. She chaired the SPS Upgrade and the LIU (LHC Injectors Upgrade)- SPS Beam Dynamics Working Groups, and served as Deputy Coordinator of the LIU-SPS Upgrade. She participated in LHC beam commissioning and led RF beam studies in the SPS and LHC for over 15 years. She contributed to various projects including the LHC, HL-LHC, and the Future Circular Collider. Elena is an active lecturer at Accelerator Schools, was named an Outstanding Referee by the APS, served on the PRAB Editorial Board and has been a member of several international advisory bodies, including the DESY Scientific Council and Machine Advisory Committees at BNL.

Wentao Wang, SIOM, CAS, is awarded for his achievements in laser-plasma acceleration, including the development of high-brightness electron beams and the first proof-of-principle demonstration of compact free-electron lasing, which together pave the way for compact electron accelerators and radiation sources.

Patrick Rauer received his PhD in Physics in 2022 from the University of Hamburg for his dissertation on a cavity-based X-ray free-electron laser (CBXFEL) demonstrator. He began his career as a research associate at the University of Hamburg, working on the LoKoFEL(longitudinal coherence in FELs) project, before joining the European XFEL to focus on simulations for the CBXFEL demonstrator. After his PhD, Dr. Rauer moved to DESY as a postdoctoral researcher, where he co-led the CBXFEL demonstrator project that achieved the world’s first lasing from a CBXFEL. Since May 2025, he has been a tenure-track scientist at DESY, where he leads the efforts for cavity-based X-ray FELs at the European XFEL. His contributions have been recognized with the first KFS early career photon science award in 2025.

Andrea Frazzitta obtained a Master’s degree in Physics from the University of Pavia in 2022 and completed his PhD in Accelerator Physics at Sapienza University of Rome in 2026, conducted at INFN Milano and INFN LNF within the EuPRAXIA project. His doctoral research developed analytical and numerical tools for radiation emission and beam dynamics modelling in plasma-based devices, with contributions spanning betatron radiation theory, particle-in-cell post-processing, and novel beam manipulation devices description, and supporting experimental activities at SPARC_LAB. In 2025, he completed a research internship at DESY (Hamburg) on plasmonic applications for photocathodes. His most recent work introduces the Plasma Discharge Undulator, a novel concept for fully plasma-based radiation sources, that he is now pursuing toward experimental realization as a postdoctoral researcher at the Paul Scherrer Institut (PSI), within the Electron Beam Instrumentation Group.