From Diliman to the Cosmos: UP Physicist Joins Global Luminaries in Breakthrough Prize Victory for Unraveling the Universe

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

In a story that defies boundaries — both scientific and geographic — a Filipino physicist from the University of the Philippines is now etched into the annals of global scientific triumph. Dr. Marvin Flores, Assistant Professor at the UP Diliman College of Science’s National Institute of Physics (UPD-CS NIP), has joined the ranks of the world’s most brilliant minds as one of the honored recipients of the 2025 Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics.

This award — dubbed the "Oscars of Science" — doesn’t just recognize individual genius, but rather the audacious, globe-spanning collaborative spirit that dares to peel back the very fabric of reality. It honors the monumental efforts of the ATLAS Collaboration, one of the flagship experiments at CERN’s Large Hadron Collider (LHC), the most powerful particle accelerator in human history.

Amid thousands of contributors from all over the world, Dr. Flores represents not just the Philippines, but the boundless potential of Filipino science on the international stage.

A Monumental Machine, A Filipino Fingerprint

ATLAS — short for A Toroidal LHC ApparatuS — is a marvel of modern science and engineering. Spanning over 40 meters long and towering 25 meters high, this general-purpose particle detector was engineered to answer some of the universe’s most enigmatic questions. From the origin of mass to the hunt for new dimensions, ATLAS was instrumental in the historic discovery of the Higgs boson in 2012 — a landmark that earned the original theorists a Nobel Prize and brought global fame to the LHC experiments.

Now, the ATLAS Collaboration, together with CERN's other major experiments — ALICE, CMS, and LHCb — is receiving one of the world’s most prestigious scientific honors for their ongoing work delving into the subatomic world.

And among them, proudly, is the Philippines.

Breaking Ground from the Archipelago

The UPD-CS NIP has been an official partner of the ATLAS Collaboration since 2021. But this partnership has evolved far beyond symbolic affiliation — under the leadership of Dr. Flores, the Filipino contingent is actively contributing to one of the most complex endeavors in human history.

“Our team’s work on Beyond Standard Model (BSM) simulations demonstrates the innovative and forward-looking spirit we bring to the collaboration,” Dr. Flores shared. “To be part of this recognition is to affirm that Filipino scientists are capable of pushing the boundaries of knowledge on the world stage.”

The Standard Model, while successful in describing fundamental particles and their interactions, is known to be incomplete. The pursuit of what lies beyond it — dark matter, supersymmetry, quantum gravity — is one of the most thrilling frontiers in physics. This is precisely where Dr. Flores and his team are making their mark.

A Future Fueled by Curiosity — and Collaboration

As the LHC enters its third operation run — with Run 3 already underway — the global scientific community is preparing for an even more ambitious upgrade: the High-Luminosity LHC (HL-LHC). This future phase promises to gather more data than ever before, enabling deeper probes into the universe's deepest mysteries.

Dr. Flores and the Philippine ATLAS team are already laying the groundwork for this future. While much of their current work is theoretical and computational, they are actively building towards direct experimental involvement. One major step forward: the formation of the ATLAS Philippine Cluster, a network of universities across the country joining forces to strengthen the nation’s presence in this historic global project.

“This is only the beginning,” said Dr. Flores. “The recognition from the Breakthrough Prize fuels our passion, but the real reward is in the journey — in every unanswered question that leads us further into the unknown.”

A Triumph for Science — and for the Nation

For the Philippines, this moment is more than just academic prestige. It is a powerful signal that even in the archipelago’s shores, far from Geneva’s sprawling CERN facility, the quest to unlock the universe's secrets is alive and thriving.

Dr. Flores's victory is a rallying cry for aspiring scientists, a reminder that Filipino brilliance belongs in the laboratories, telescopes, and particle detectors shaping the future of humanity.

As ATLAS Spokesperson Stephane Willocq aptly put it: “The Breakthrough Prize recognizes the collective vision and monumental effort of thousands of ATLAS collaborators worldwide.”

Indeed, and among those collaborators, the Filipino flag now proudly flies.

This dramatic milestone in Philippine science highlights not just a prestigious international award, but a promise: that with curiosity, commitment, and collaboration, the universe is within reach — even from a classroom in UP Diliman.

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