Douglas Berry
Associate Scientist
Telephone: (630) 840-4135 E-mail: drberry@fnal.gov Office Location: WH1024
Biography
My research focuses on silicon detector development and searches for physics beyond the Standard Model at the energy frontier. I am an experimental particle physicist working on the CMS experiment at the CERN Large Hadron Collider, where my work combines detector construction with data analysis. On the physics side, my interests center on signatures involving heavy flavor, particularly top quarks, which serve as sensitive probes of new phenomena such as dark matter. I have led and contributed to CMS analyses searching for dark matter produced in association with top quarks and heavy resonances, developing modern analysis strategies that incorporate advanced machine-learning techniques and precision background constraints to fully exploit the Run-2 LHC dataset.
A major component of my program is the design, fabrication, and integration of silicon tracking detectors for the High-Luminosity LHC. At Fermilab, I hold several leadership roles within the CMS Outer Tracker Upgrade, including serving as the international coordinator for the Macro Pixel Sub-Assemblies (MaPSAs) and as a level-3 manager for the mechanics and integration of the flat Tracker Barrel with Pixel-Strip (TBPS) modules. My work spans the full detector lifecycle, from materials development and composite fabrication to CO₂ cooling, quality assurance, and large-scale integration testing. Through this effort, I collaborate closely with engineers, technicians, and physicists across the USCMS and international CMS communities to deliver critical detector components that will enable precise tracking and real-time momentum measurements in the demanding high-occupancy environment of the HL-LHC.
In parallel, I am actively pursuing R&D on next-generation silicon detectors for future collider experiments and potential CMS upgrades during the final years of LHC running. I am working on the development of Monolithic Active Pixel Sensors (MAPS) optimized for ultra-low mass and fine spatial resolution, with a particular focus on applications for a future Higgs factory such as the FCC-ee. I am also a member of the Smart Pixel project, where I explore novel pixel architectures that combine small-pitch silicon sensors with advanced front-end ASICs and on-sensor intelligence to enable fast, information-rich tracking. These efforts are motivated both by the needs of future colliders and by the opportunity to significantly extend the physics reach of CMS through innovative detector upgrades late in its operational lifetime.