The Speakers

Licia Verde is an ICREA professor at Instituto de Ciencias del Cosmos, Universitat de Barcelona (ICCUB) where she leads the Cosmology & Large-Scale Structures research group. She is scientific director of the ICCUB and scientific director of JCAP. Her research focuses on the large-scale structure of the universe, the cosmic microwave background, galaxy surveys and statistical tools to analyse and interpret cosmological data.

Reinhard Genzel is one of the Directors of Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics, Professor in the Graduate School of the University of California, Berkeley and an Honorary Professor at the Ludwig Maximilian University, Munich. In 2020, he received the Nobel Prize in Physics, jointly with Andrea Ghez, for the discovery of a supermassive compact object at the centre of our galaxy. Through the development of cutting-edge infrared instrumentation, his research has transformed our understanding of the extreme environments around black holes and the co-evolution of galaxies. These studies have also enabled remarkable tests of general relativity in the universe’s most extreme gravitational settings.

Renato Renner is Professor in the Department of Physics at ETH Zürich and Head of the Institute for Theoretical Physics. His research explores the deep intersection of physical laws and information theory. He is widely known for foundational contributions to quantum information, including the development of rigorous frameworks that establish the security of quantum communication. Beyond applications, Renner’s work addresses profound conceptual questions at the heart of modern physics, shedding light on how physical reality is described by different observers and how principles of quantum information can inform our understanding of thermodynamics, gravity, and the black hole information paradox.

Clifford Martin Will is Distinguished Professor of Physics at the University of Florida, and the James S. McDonnell Professor of Space Sciences Emeritus at Washington University in St. Louis. His research focuses on the observational and astrophysical implications of Einstein's general theory of relativity and the theoretical interpretation of experimental tests of general relativity. Through his influential work and widely read books, he has played a central role in shaping our understanding of how Einstein’s theory is tested against observations, from the Solar System to gravitational waves. In recognition of his contributions, he has received numerous honors, including the Albert Einstein Medal and the Einstein Prize of the American Physical Society.