Stavros Katsanevas, Deputy Scientific Director of CNRS – France and Professor at the Université Paris VII Denis Diderot, was elected Chairman of the Astroparticle Physics European Consortium. Astroparticle physics answers questions such as what is the nature of dark matter and dark energy, where do cosmic rays come from, what is the role of neutrinos in cosmic evolution. It needs specially designed particle detectors, telescopes and experiments at the frontier of astrophysics, particle physics and cosmology.

APPEC aims to secure funding of the large astroparticle physics infrastructure.Following his election, Katsanevas said that the focus of the new APPEC consortium will be to enhance European collaboration and coordination in funding astroparticle physics and to uphold Europe’s leading role in unlocking the secrets of the Universe.