James Beacham is an experimental high-energy particle physicist currently with the ATLAS collaboration at CERN's Large Hadron Collider (LHC). He contributed to the discovery of the Higgs boson in 2012, a significant achievement in particle physics. Beacham is involved in research on dark matter and exotic particles, searching for dark photons, gravitons, and new Higgs bosons.
Before joining ATLAS, he analysed data from the ALEPH experiment at LEP, which laid the groundwork for his work at the LHC. He was also part of the APEX collaboration at Jefferson Lab, which sought evidence for a new vector boson, contributing to the understanding of dark matter.
Beacham is committed to making science accessible. He has shared his research through various media, including Symmetry Magazine and the Science Museum in London, and has spoken at events like the American Museum of Natural History and SXSW. In 2015, he launched Ex/Noise/CERN, a project linking particle physics with experimental music and film, coinciding with the LHC's upgrade to 13 trillion electron volts.
He frequently appears in documentaries, TV series, and podcasts, with features in The New York Times, Wired, and Gizmodo. Beacham completed his PhD at New York University in 2014 and is now a post-doctoral researcher at Ohio State University. He has organised workshops on long-lived particle signatures and high-performance computing for public health.
In addition to his scientific work, Beacham collaborates with artists and filmmakers, reflecting his interdisciplinary approach to science communication. He speaks on innovation at global conferences and has partnered with Chelonia Applied Science to explore societal improvements through science and technology. Beacham's contributions to particle physics and public engagement have established him as a notable figure in both the scientific community and the public sphere.