About

I am a theoretical particle physicist specializing in beyond the Standard Model physics. My current research focuses on dark matter and axions.

I develop novel cosmological models for dark matter and propose new experimental tests across a wide range of experiments, including high-energy colliders, flavor physics experiments, fixed-target experiments, direct detection experiments, and table-top experiments.

Additionally, I construct models involving axions and axion-like particles to address the strong CP problem.

Throughout my career, I have contributed to various fields within beyond the Standard Model physics, including Higgs physics, flavor physics, neutrino physics, and more recently dark matter and axions, with the aim of maximizing the discovery potential for new fundamental particles and interactions.

On the experimental side, I am one of the initial proponents of the DarkQuest experiment at Fermilab National Laboratory.

I joined the Physics Department at the University of California, Santa Cruz in 2018 as an Assistant Professor and have been a Professor since 2024.

Email me at sgori [at] ucsc [dot] edu

Extended CV (last updated December 2024)

Key Positions

• University of California, Santa Cruz     
  • Professor of Physics, 2024-Present
  • Associate Professor of Physics, 2022-2024
  • Assistant Professor of Physics, 2018-2022
• University of Cincinnati
  • Assistant Professor of Physics, 2016-2018

Education

• Technical University of Munich PhD in theoretical particle physics 2010
• University of Pisa/Scuola Normale M.Sc. in theoretical physics 2007
• University of Pisa B.Sc. in physics 2005

Selected Awards

• 2024 Frontiers of Science Award in Theoretical Physics
• National Science Foundation CAREER award, 2017-2022

Selected Publications

Full list of publications: INSPIRE

• QCD Axion-Mediated Dark Matter,
  J. Dror, S. Gori, P. Munbodh, JHEP (2023).
• On the Sensitivity of Spin-Precession Axion Experiments,
  J. Dror, S. Gori, J. Leedom, N. Rodd, Phys. Rev. Lett. (2023).
• Neutrino Tridents at DUNE,
  W. Altmannshofer, S. Gori, J. Martin-Albo A. Sousa, M. Wallbank, Phys. Rev. D (2019).
• Dark Sectors at the Fermilab SeaQuest Experiment,
  A. Berlin, S. Gori, P. Schuster, N. Toro, Phys. Rev. D (2018).
• Uncovering Mass Generation Through Higgs Flavor Violation,
  W. Altmannshofer, S. Gori, A. L. Kagan, L. Silvestrini, J. Zupan, Phys. Rev. D (2016).
• Illuminating Dark Photons with High-Energy Colliders,
  D. Curtin, R. Essig, S. Gori, J. Shelton, JHEP (2015).
• Neutrino Trident Production: A Powerful Probe of New Physics with Neutrino Beams,
  W. Altmannshofer, S. Gori, M. Pospelov, I. Yavin, Phys. Rev. Lett. (2014).
• Exotic Decays of the 125 GeV Higgs boson,
  D. Curtin, et al, Phys. Rev. D (2014).

Key Service & Leadership

• Member of the Particle Data Group (PDG) advisory committee, 2024 – now
• Member of the Fermilab Physics Advisory Committee (PAC), 2024 – now
• Member of the B-factory Programme Advisory Committee (BPAC), KEK, Japan, 2018 – now
• Member of the Steering committee of the LHC Higgs working group, 2021 – 2024
• General member of the Aspen Center for Physics, 2023 – now