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

Fabian
Bernstein
PhD Student & Physicist
Fabian Bernstein has studied physics, music and cultural sciences in Berlin and Paris and holds various diplomas. He has been working as a teacher at the Boarding School Schloss Hansenberg in Hessen, Germany before joining the S’Cool LAB Team. Currently, he is pursuing his PhD at CERN in cooperation with the University of Frankfurt a. M., Germany. His research focuses on developing modern physics hands-on activities fit for classroom use.
Favourite S'Cool LAB experiment: Plasma-cathode electron gun
Favourite particle: Beauty quark

Oliver
Keller
Engineer & Applied Physicist
Oliver Keller holds a diploma in engineering and worked on embedded systems in the industrial sector before joining CERN in 2013. His M.Sc. thesis in applied physics was carried out in the CERN MediaLab which resulted in a novel tool to visualise radioactivity using CERN's pixel detector technology. He is currently developing further educational tools and experiments for the S'Cool LAB within a PhD project in cooperation with the University of Geneva. Oliver is passionate about making things and an advocate of open standards, data and methods.
Favourite S'Cool LAB experiment: Hunting cosmic particles & natural radioactivity
Favourite particle: Muon

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

Dimitrios
Chatziioannou
Technical Student & Computer Engineer
Dimitrios is currently approaching his integrated master's degree in Computer Engineering from the University of Thessaly in Volos, Greece. He joined CERN as technical student in October 2019 and works on various development projects at CERN. He also maintains S'Cool LAB's online presence as well as its IT equipment. Dimitrios is interested in mobile and smart systems integration.
Favourite S'Cool LAB experiment: Plasma-cathode electron gun
Favourite particle: Gluon

Ece
Inci
Administrative Student
Ece Inci joined the Teacher and Student Programs in September 2020 as an administrative intern. She is currently finishing her Bachelor’s in European Studies, from The Hague University of Applied Sciences, Netherlands, with a major in Business and minor in Cybersecurity Law, ICT and Governance.
Favourite S'Cool LAB experiment: Superconductivity Workshop
Favourite particle: Photon
Associated Colleagues

Alexandra
Jansky
Science Gateway Education Labs Team
Alexandra Jansky is a physics education researcher and communicator. In the past years, she investigated students’ conceptions on randomness and probability in the scientific context as a doctoral student in cooperation with the University of Vienna. Besides doing research, she was resposible for the tutor liaison within the S’Cool LAB team. Since October 2019, she is responsible for the content development of the Science Gateway Education Labs.
Favourite S'Cool LAB experiment: Magnet Workshop
Favourite particle: Strange quark

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
2019
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)