In Memoriam of a Great Scientist: Dr. Gamlet Khodzhibagiyan (1950-2025)

Dr. Gamlet Khodzhibagiyan, a prominent experimental physicist who spent more than 50 years working at the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research in Dubna, passed away at the age of 74 on June 6th, 2025, leaving behind many remarkable achievements in the field of superconducting magnetic systems. 

Gamlet Khodzhibagiyan was born on August, 16th, 1950. Following his graduation from the Bauman Moscow State Technical University and an internship at the Kurchatov Institute, he made a life-choice decision as a young science professional by taking a job at the international research center in Dubna (Moscow Region). This decision would not only set his course for life but also have a major impact on the future of accelerator physics. 

Khodzhibagiyan joined JINR in 1973 as a Junior Research Fellow and quickly earned himself a reputation as a talented scientist and engineer. His research was focused on designing and building superconducting magnetic systems, a nascent technology at the time, but one that would later serve as the foundation for many of today’s groundbreaking scientific projects. 

At JINR, Khodzhibagiyan became one of the founders of a new area of research, building superconducting magnetic systems for particle accelerators. He oversaw the creation and development of unique technological capabilities, which have enabled Russia to establish itself as one of the global leaders in this critically important area.

Dr. Khodzhibagiyan and his team developed a revolutionary technology for building superconducting magnets based on niobium-titanium alloys. It has become the basis for the creation of a new generation of magnetic systems, which are now employed by the world’s leading research installations.

One particularly important project was building dipole magnets for the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN. Magnets built in Dubna under Khodzhibagiyan’s supervision would become an integral part of this phenomenal installation, which has enabled humanity to look into some of the deepest mysteries of matter.

JINR’s Laboratory for Superconducting Magnetic Systems headed by Dr. Khodzhibagiyan has delivered magnets that are now being used by major research centers around the world, such as: 

- CERN (Switzerland): the LHC and other installations, 

- DESY (Germany): synchrotron radiation systems,

- Fermilab (USA): magnets for particle accelerator facilities, 

- KEK (Japan): superconducting systems for colliders. 

The Dubna school of superconducting technologies created by Dr. Khodzhibagiyan has earned worldwide recognition as a benchmark for top-level quality and reliability. 

Dr. Khodzhibagiyan became Head of JINR’s Laboratory for Superconducting Magnetic Systems in 1988 and led it to become one of the world’s leading research centers for superconducting technologies. Under his leadership, the Laboratory contributed to numerous international research projects, thereby serving to promote Russian science on an international level. 

Gamlet Khodzhibagiyan was not only a prominent scientist but also a very capable organizer. He developed a unique atmosphere of creativity and top-level quality standards at the Lab, which has helped his team successfully tackle even seemingly impossible tasks. 

In 2023, Dr. Khodzhibagiyan received the VYZOV National Prize for Best Engineering Solution for the creation of superconducting magnetic systems for particle accelerators. This served as an acknowledgement of the Dubna research team’s contribution to the development of world science.

Gamlet Khodzhibagiyan was also awarded titles such as Honored Scientist of the Russian Federation and Honorary Staff Member of JINR, along with many other Russian and international awards. 

Dr. Khodzhibagiyan’s research has proven instrumental not only in fundamental physics but also in medicine. Technologies developed at the Dubna facility have served as the basis for the creation of modern-day MRI scanners, which now save millions of lives around the world.

Gamlet Khodzhibagiyan raised a stellar team of outstanding scientists and engineers, many of whom are now working at some of the world's leading research centers. His technology school continues to build on his principles and approaches to tackling complex research tasks.

Dr. Khodzhibagiyan’s colleagues speak of him as a man of exceptional integrity and professionalism. He was famous for his profound knowledge, his long-term vision and his ability to find unorthodox solutions to some of the hardest challenges. At the same time, he always remained a modest and approachable person, willing to share his knowledge with his younger co-workers.

Gamlet Khodzhibagiyan lived a long and fruitful life, and the technologies and the research school that are his legacy continue to serve humanity today by exploring new horizons for research.