Meet our Team
Meet our Team

Gernot
Scheerer
S'Cool LAB Manager
Gernot started a career as experimental physicist with a PhD thesis at the University of Toulouse (2010-2013), after which he joined the University of Geneva (2013-2020). His research in the field of solid-state physics was focused on the microscopic understanding of superconductivity. Gernot became an expert of exactly the phenomena, which are pillars of CERN’s particle accelerators: superconductivity, very cold temperatures, and magnetic fields. Thanks to his love for hands-on minds-on science education, Gernot Scheerer joined the S'Cool Lab in August 2020. Indeed, since the beginning of his academic career, Gernot is very active in science education and outreach. Most notably, he participated in the Geneva Science Nights 2014 and 2016 and was an active member of Geneva’s Physiscope from 2018 to 2020.
Favourite S'Cool LAB experiment: DIY Cloud Chamber
Favourite particle: Positron

Sarah
Zöchling
PhD Student & S’Cool LAB PLUS+ coordinator
Sarah studied Physics, Latin, and Education at the University of Vienna, Austria. After working as a physics teacher at a Viennese high school, she joined the S’Cool LAB team as a doctoral student in physics education research. In the framework of her PhD project, Sarah studies the role of interesting topics and contexts in physics education while focusing on modern physics topics and medical applications.
Favourite S'Cool LAB experiment: Superconductivity Workshop
Favourite particle: Tau neutrino

Konstantinos
Konstantopoulos
Technical Student
Konstantinos is currently finishing his Bachelor's degree in Computer Science from the Athens University of Economics and Business in Greece. He joined CERN as Technical Student in October 2021 and works on various development projects at CERN. He also maintains S'Cool LAB's online presence as well as its IT infrastructure.
Favourite S'Cool LAB experiment: DIY Cloud Chamber
Favourite particle: Up quark

Vincent
Frederic Darras
Technical support
Vincent is an operation technician who has been working at CERN since 1999, and holds a diploma in process industries from TETRAS Annecy University. 1999-2001: Solid State Detectors Section (aging test) 2001-2009: Building and commissioning electrical systems for gas detectors in CERN's physics department 2009-2014: Control process for cryogenics system in the LHC with LHe at 1.9 Kelvin to cool down 27 kms of superconducting magnets 2014-today: Joined the exhibition team and in 2015, S'Cool LAB at CERN.
Favourite S'Cool LAB experiment: DIY Cloud Chamber
Favourite particle: Dark matter

Panagiota
Chatzidaki
PhD Student
Panagiota studied Applied Mathematical and Physical Sciences at the National Technical University of Athens in Greece followed by a Master in Particle Physics at the University of Heidelberg, Germany. In 2022, she joined the S’Cool LAB team as a doctoral student in physics education research. Her PhD project is to develop virtual and interactive learning units about CERN-related physics topics and applications. At the same time, she will evaluate the effect of these learning units on students’ cognitive and affective variables.
Favourite S'Cool LAB experiment: X-ray workshop
Favourite particle: Muon nutrino

Alexandros
Petridis
Technical Student
Alexandros is currently finishing his Master's degree in Electrical Engineering at Aristotle University of Thesslaoniki in Greece. He joined CERN as a Technical student in October 2022 and works on varius development projects at CERN. He also maintains S'Cool LAB's online presence as well as its IT infrustructure.
Favourite S'Cool LAB experiment: Superconductivity Workshop
Favourite particle: Tau neutrino
Associated Colleagues

Julia
Woithe
Former S'Cool LAB Manager - Science Gateway Education Labs Team
Julia Woithe developed and managed S'Cool LAB until August 2020. She also investigated the cognitive and affective effects of its hands-on learning opportunities in the framework of her PhD studies in physics education research at CERN in cooperation with the University of Kaiserslautern, Germany and the University of Geneva, Switzerland. Currently, Julia is coordinating the development and implementation of the future education labs in the framework of CERN's Science Gateway project.
Favourite S'Cool LAB experiment: Positron-Emission-Tomography (PET)
Favourite particle: W+ Boson

Jeff
Wiener
S'Cool LAB Architect & Teacher Programme Manager
Jeff worked as a high school teacher for physics, philosophy, and psychology in Vienna, Austria. He then joined CERN to pursue his PhD in physics education research in cooperation with the University of Vienna through the Austrian Doctorate Programme. His research goals focused on how to adequately integrate particle physics into modern curricula. During his PhD studies he also served as project manager for S'Cool LAB by designing and developing the lab in its initial phase. Hence, he is also responsible for the fantastic word-play joke which became the name of S'Cool LAB. Nowadays, Jeff is managing CERN's national and international teacher training programmes.
Favourite experiments: DIY Cloud Chamber
Favourite particle: Gluon

Sascha
Schmeling
Head of Teacher & Student Programmes
Former members of the S'Cool LAB Team
2021
Feza Tankut 09/2021 – 12/2021 (administrative support)
Fabian Bernstein 03/2018 – 11/2021 (PhD student, topic: 3D-printable and low-cost modern-physics experiments for the classroom)
Antonios Pavlidis 10/2020 – 11/2021 (IT technical support)
Ece Inci 09/2020 – 09/2021 (administrative support)
2020
Oliver Keller 07/2016 – 12/2020 (Fellow & PhD student, topic: Development of advanced pixel & low-cost diode detectors for experiments about radioactivity)
Dimitrios Chatziioannou 10/2019 – 10/2020 (IT technical support)
Sara Mucci 09/2019 – 09/2020 (administrative support)
2019
Alexanda Jansky 04/2016 – 03/2019 (PhD student)
Ingvild Garmo Nilsson 07/2019 – 12/2019 (Master student; workshop development & science show)
Syed Hashim Gillani 09/2018-11/2019 (IT technical support)
2018
Sarah Zöchling 07/2018-08/2018 (summer student; topic: visualizations in particle physics)
Susanne Dührkoop 04/2018-08/2018 (teacher in residence; topic: low-cost experiments)
Lachlan McGinness 03/2018-08/2018 (teacher in residence; topic: low-cost experiments)
Alex Brown 03/2015-08/2018 (PhD student, topic: e-learning & teacher motivation)
2017
Kitti Lai 10/2016-11/2017 (IT technical support)
Zuzana Juskova 09/2016-08/2017 (administrative support)
Mihaly Vadai 04/2017-08/2017 (electronic engineering)
Ankatrin Kirchner 01/2017-02/2017 (Master student, topic: Quadrupole Ion Trap)
2016
Nikolaos Kokkinis Ntrenis 09/2015 - 09/2016 (Technical support IT)
Eva Tolosa 02/2015 - 09/2016 (Administrative support)
Daniela Pfeiffer 07/2016 (Master student, topic: Positron-Emission-Tomography)
Lukas Mientus 07/2016 (Master student, topic: Plasma-Wakefield-Acceleration)
Tiago Gonçalves 06/2016-08/2016 (summer student; topic: 3D-printable ATLAS magnet model)
Christoph Weller 04/2016 (Master student, topic: Superconductivity)
Magnus Reifenrath 04/2016 (Master student, topic: Superconductivity)
2015
Lea Prüfer 09/2015 (Master student, topic: muon detectors)
Christos Lougiakis 10/2014 - 09/2015 (Technical support IT)