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Maria Pestana da Luz Pereira Ramos

maria.ramos@cern.ch ·INSPIRE-HEP ·ORCID 0000-0001-7743-7364 ·arXiv
CERN, Theory Department  ·  Geneva, Switzerland

Research Interests

Theoretical particle physics and phenomenology beyond the Standard Model. I combine model building with effective field theory to study the Higgs boson, dark matter, the strong CP problem and the QCD axion, confronting them with both collider and astrophysical probes.

Beyond the Standard Model · Effective Field Theory · QCD axion & ALPs · Dark matter · Composite Higgs · Collider & astrophysical phenomenology

Appointments

CERN, Theory DepartmentGeneva, Switzerland
Research Fellow, Theory group2024 – present
Instituto de Física Teórica (IFT) / Universidad Autónoma de MadridMadrid, Spain
Postdoctoral Researcher2023 – 2024
Universidad Autónoma de MadridMadrid, Spain
Early Stage Researcher — Marie Skłodowska-Curie ITN “HIDDeN”2021 – 2023

Short secondments

University of California San Diego  — USAOct – Dec 2023
Université Paris-Saclay, IJCLab Orsay  — FranceOct 2022
IGFAE, Santiago de Compostela  — SpainJul 2021
IPPP, University of Durham  — United KingdomFeb – Mar 2019

Education

Ph.D. in Theoretical Physics — co-tutelle, Universidad de Granada (Spain) & Universidade do Minho (Portugal)2018 – 2021

The interplay between collider and astrophysical probes of composite Higgs models. Advisors: Dr. Mikael Chala (Granada), Prof. Nuno Castro (Minho). MAP-Fis Fellowship. Defended Jan 2022 — Sobresaliente Cum Laude (Granada), Muito Bom (Minho).

Ph.D. schools: ICTP Summer School on Particle Physics (2019); Cargèse International Summer School (2018).

M.Sc. in Theoretical Physics — Universidade do Porto, Portugal2015 – 2017

CPT, modified gravity and the baryon asymmetry of the Universe. Advisor: Dr. Jorge Páramos. Grade: 19/20.

B.Sc. in Physics — Universidade do Porto, Portugal2012 – 2015

Dark energy models and observational imprints. Advisor: Prof. Carlos Martins. Extra-curricular internship at CAUP (2015).

Publications

18 articles (16 published, 2 under review) in high-impact peer-reviewed journals, plus 2 white papers and 2 reports. 660+ citations (INSPIRE). Author order follows field conventions: alphabetical in [hep-ph], by contribution in [astro-ph].

Submitted manuscripts

  1. S. M. Lee, M. Ramos, F. Vilches. How well can the QCD axion hide? Submitted to JHEP. [arXiv:2604.08657]
  2. M. Ramos, T. Cohen, M. Lisanti. First-Principles Formalism for Simulating Self-Interacting Dark Matter. Submitted to PRL. [arXiv:2512.17998]

Published journal articles

  1. D. Dunsky, C. Manzari, P. Quílez, M. Ramos, P. Sorensen. Resonant Landau–Zener conversion in multi-axion systems. JHEP 01 (2026) 077. [arXiv:2507.06287]
  2. A. de Giorgi, M. Ramos. Extra-dimensional axion patterns. Phys. Rev. D 111 (2025) 7. [arXiv:2412.00179]
  3. B. Gavela, P. Quílez, M. Ramos. The QCD axion sum rule. JHEP 04 (2024) 056. [arXiv:2305.15465]
  4. S. Das Bakshi, J. Machado, M. Ramos. Running beyond ALPs: shift-breaking and CP-violating effects. JHEP 11 (2023) 133. [arXiv:2306.08036]
  5. J. Bonilla, A. de Giorgi, B. Gavela, L. Merlo, M. Ramos. The cost of an ALP solution to the neutral B-anomalies. JHEP 02 (2023) 138. [arXiv:2209.11247]
  6. D. Domènech, M. J. Herrero, R. A. Morales, M. Ramos. Double Higgs production at TeV e+e− colliders with Effective Field Theories: sensitivity to BSM Higgs couplings. Phys. Rev. D 106 (2022) 115027. [arXiv:2208.05452]
  7. X. Cid Vidal, T. Mombächer, M. Ramos, E. Rodríguez. Following the muon track of hierarchical sectors at LHCb. JHEP 11 (2022) 027. [arXiv:2206.01759]
  8. M. Chala, G. Guedes, M. Ramos, J. Santiago. Towards the renormalisation of the SM effective field theory to dimension eight: Bosonic interactions I. SciPost Phys. 11 (2021) 065. [arXiv:2106.05291]
  9. M. Chala, G. Guedes, M. Ramos, J. Santiago. Running in the ALPs. Eur. Phys. J. C 81 (2021) 181. [arXiv:2012.09017]
  10. N. Castro, M. Chala, A. Peixoto, M. Ramos. Novel flavour-changing neutral currents in the top quark sector. JHEP 10 (2020) 038. [arXiv:2005.09594]
  11. M. Chala, P. Kozów, M. Ramos, A. Titov. Effective field theory for vector-like leptons and its collider signals. Phys. Lett. B 809 (2020) 135752. [arXiv:2005.09655]
  12. M. Ramos. Composite dark matter phenomenology in the presence of lighter degrees of freedom. JHEP 07 (2020) 128. [arXiv:1912.11061]
  13. A. Blance, M. Chala, M. Ramos, M. Spannowsky. Novel B-decay signatures of light scalars at high energy facilities. Phys. Rev. D 100 (2019) 115015. [arXiv:1907.13151]
  14. M. Chala, M. Ramos, M. Spannowsky. Gravitational wave and collider probes of a triplet Higgs sector with a low cutoff. Eur. Phys. J. C 79 (2019) 156. [arXiv:1812.01901]
  15. J. Páramos, M. Ramos. Baryogenesis in non-minimally coupled f(R) theories. Phys. Rev. D 96 (2017) 104024. [arXiv:1709.04442]
  16. C. Martins, M. Martinelli, E. Calabrese, M. Ramos. Real-time cosmography with redshift derivatives. Phys. Rev. D 94 (2016) 043001. [arXiv:1606.07261]

White papers

  1. A. Arza et al. The physics case for Weakly Interacting Slim Particles. Submitted to PRL. [arXiv:2603.03433]
  2. M. Borsato et al. Unleashing the full power of LHCb to probe Stealth New Physics. Rep. Prog. Phys. 85 (2022) 2. [arXiv:2105.12668]

Other reports

  1. J. Bonilla, A. de Giorgi, M. Ramos. Report on neutral B-anomalies from an on-shell scalar exchange. [arXiv:2211.05135]
  2. A. Bethani et al. Report on the ECFA Early-Career Researchers Debate on the 2020 European Strategy Update for Particle Physics. [arXiv:2002.02837]

Awards & Honors

V DFTP Prize for Best Doctoral Thesis in Theory — Spanish Royal Physics Society (Theoretical & Particle Physics Div.)2022
Extraordinary Prize for Best Doctoral Thesis in Science — University of Granada2021–22
Recognition Award for Best Doctoral Thesis — School of Sciences, University of Minho2022

Invited Talks & Seminars

19 seminars and 18 international conferences. Selected highlights by year:

2026 Plenary, Planck 2026; Plenary, Blois Workshop 2026; CERN-TH Cosmo Seminar; Parallel talk, Int. Workshop on the Circular Electron–Positron Collider.

2025 Seminar, ETH Zürich; Review talk, LII Int. Meeting on Fundamental Physics; Colloquium, IST Lisbon; Plenary, Pollica workshop “The strong CP problem”; Plenary, “Dark Matter Beyond the Weak Scale III” (UK); Plenary, 8th FCC Physics Workshop (CERN).

2024 CERN BSM Forum Seminar; Mainz Theorie Palaver; Heidelberg Teilchen-Tee; Plenary, PASCOS (Rencontres du Vietnam); Seminar, Oskar Klein Centre; Seminar, U. Granada; Plenary, COSMIC WISPers Meeting (DESY).

2023 Seminar, Berkeley Center for Theoretical Physics; Seminar, UC Santa Cruz; Seminar, UC San Diego; Plenary, LAPTh “Axions++”; DESY Seminar; INFN Padova Seminar.

2022 Plenary, CERN “Implications of LHCb measurements”; Seminar, IJCLab Orsay; Plenary, IGFAE “Multimuon signatures at LHCb”; Plenary, Invisibles Workshop; Plenary, CPAN.

2021 “Higgs Hunting” Workshop; Seminar, IFT Madrid; Seminar, IGFAE Santiago; Plenary, LIO “Composite connection of Higgs, dark matter and neutrinos”.

2020 Parallel talk, “Flavour Physics and CP Violation”; Seminar, U. Granada; Plenary, “Stealth physics at LHCb”.

2019 Seminar, U. Aveiro; Seminar, IPPP Durham.

Conference & Workshop Organization

Research-group meetings: Co-organizer of the CERN Theory Journal Club (2024–present), Pheno Coffee at IFT Madrid (2021–2024), and the LIP Phenomenology Journal Club (proposer & co-organizer, 2018–2020).

Grants & Projects

COSMIC WISPers COST Action — Management Committee member (PI A. Mirizzi, Bari; EU COST CA21106)2022 – 2026
Long-Lived Particles & BSM searches — research group member (PI X. Cid Vidal, IGFAE/LHCb; Spanish Ministry of Science)2023 – 2026
H2020-MSCA-ITN “HIDDeN” — early-career fellow (PI S. Pascoli, Bologna; Marie Skłodowska-Curie #860881)2021 – 2023

Supervision & Mentorship

Service & Committees

Teaching

Outreach & Public Engagement