From the Forests of Varėna to the Edge of the Universe and Back to the Atomic Nucleus

Dr. Mindaugas Šarpis is a particle physicist at CERN, where he works on the LHCb experiment — one of the four major detectors at the Large Hadron Collider, the most powerful particle accelerator ever built. His research focuses on exotic forms of matter, including pentaquarks: rare, multi-quark particles that challenge our understanding of how the strong force binds matter together. Beyond research, he is active in science communication and in strengthening Lithuania’s ties to CERN — most recently as one of the organizers of LHCb Week 2026, set to become the largest event in the history of Lithuanian science, bringing hundreds of physicists from around the world to Vilnius this September.