Nuno Loureiro Biography – Nuno Loureiro Wiki

Renowned for his contributions to the field of theoretical physics and fusion science, Nuno Loureiro was a distinguished Portuguese academic. He held professorships in both nuclear science and engineering, as well as physics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Additionally, he served as the director of MIT’s Plasma Science and Fusion Center.

Loureiro became a part of the MIT faculty in 2016 and was elevated to the role of deputy director at the Plasma Science and Fusion Center (PSFC) in 2022. Before his tenure at MIT, he was associated with the Institute for Plasmas and Nuclear Fusion at IST Lisbon, where he contributed as a researcher.

Born and raised in Portugal, Loureiro pursued his physics degree at Instituto Superior Técnico (IST) and was awarded a Ph.D. in physics from Imperial College London in 2005. Following his doctoral studies, he engaged in postdoctoral research at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory for two years. In 2007, he joined the UKAEA Culham Center for Fusion Energy. He returned to IST in 2009 to continue his research in plasma and nuclear fusion until his appointment at MIT in 2016.

At MIT, Loureiro advanced from assistant to full professor, instructing courses such as 22.612 (Introduction to Plasma Physics) and 22.615 (MHD Theory of Fusion Systems). His exceptional teaching earned him the Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering’s PAI Outstanding Professor Award twice.

Throughout his illustrious career, Loureiro was the recipient of numerous prestigious accolades, including the National Science Foundation Career Award and the American Physical Society (APS) Thomas H. Stix Award for Outstanding Early Career Contributions to Plasma Physics Research. He was also honored as an APS fellow. In 2025, his achievements were further recognized with the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers.

Nuno Loureiro Age

Nuno F. Gomes Loureiro was born in 1977 in Viseu, Portugal. He died on December 16, 2025 in Brookline, Massachusetts, U.S. He was 47 years old.

Death

Nuno Loureiro, 47, was shot on December 15, 2025 at his home on Gibbs Street in Brookline, Massachusetts. He died at a Boston hospital on December 16, 2025, according to Brookline police and MIT officials. No one is in custody and police are treating the incident as “an active and ongoing homicide investigation”, the Norfolk County District Attorney’s Office said in a statement.

“Our deepest sympathies are with his family, students, colleagues, and all those who are grieving,” an MIT spokesperson said in a statement. “Focused outreach and conversations are taking place within our community to offer care and support for those who knew Prof. Loureiro, and a message will be shared with our wider community.”

“Nuno was not only a brilliant scientist, he was a brilliant person,” said Dennis Whyte, the Hitachi America Professor of Engineering, who previously served as the head of the Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering and director of the Plasma Science and Fusion Center. “He shone a bright light as a mentor, friend, teacher, colleague and leader, and was universally admired for his articulate, compassionate manner. His loss is immeasurable to our community at the PSFC, NSE and MIT, and around the entire fusion and plasma research world.”

Nuno Loureiro Family

MIT professor Nuno Loureiro was married and had a young family.

Nuno Loureiro Jewish

Theoretical physicist Nuno Loureiro is reportedly a Jew.

Nuno Loureiro Israel

Nuno Loureiro was reportedly pro-Israel.