Dr. Archana Sharma

Archana Sharma is a high-energy physicist and Senior Scientist at CERN. She is honored with coveted highest civilian honor for Indians living abroad, the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman, awarded by the president, Government of India, as well as the Bharat Gaurav Award at the British Parliament.

In her role as the Founder and Project Manager of the CMS GEM Collaboration since 2008, she led the development of Gas Electron Multiplier (GEM) technology—one of the most sensitive detector systems with exceptional discovery potential. This global project brought together around 40 institutions across 17 countries and has resulted in over 75 PhDs under her leadership, including many from India, along with successful technology transfers to Indian industries.

As a passionate STEM advocate, Dr. Sharma is widely recognized for mentoring hundreds of young students, especially girls, through her NGO based in New Delhi. She is also a patent holder for a family of gas detectors, an author of over 1,600 scientific publications, and has written five popular science books, including India’s Science Geniuses, Nobel Dreams of India, A to Z of CERN, and Women Shaping Scientific Frontiers: From Lab Coats to Leadership.