Francesco Sylos Labini is a physicist and Research Director at the Enrico Fermi Research Center (CREF) in Rome. Since 2025, he has also served as Honorary Professor at the Institute of Technology of Sumatra (Indonesia).
His research lies at the intersection of statistical physics, cosmology, and gravitational dynamics, with a particular focus on large-scale structure formation, self-gravitating systems, galaxy kinematics and dynamics, and the statistical properties of complex astrophysical systems. He is also actively engaged in science policy and higher-education studies.
His scientific work has been published in leading international peer-reviewed journals and has been featured in major scientific media outlets, including Nature, New Scientist, and Scientific American.
Academic Career
Sylos Labini graduated in Physics in Rome and obtained his PhD from the University of Bologna. He has held research positions at several institutions in Italy and abroad, including the Laboratoire de Physique Théorique at Université Paris XI (Orsay, France), the Department of Theoretical Physics at the University of Geneva (Switzerland) and the Institute for Complex System (Rome, Italy).
At CREF he has served as Director of the Museum “The Legacy of Enrico Fermi” and has also held the position of Acting General Director.
Research Activity
His research applies concepts and methods from statistical physics to fundamental problems in cosmology and astrophysics. Major areas of interest include:
- Large-scale structure of the Universe
- Cosmological structure formation
- Statistical physics of self-gravitating systems
- Galaxy kinematics and dynamics
- Dark matter and galactic dynamics
- Complex systems and non-equilibrium statistical mechanics
He is the author of more than 100 papers in peer-reviewed journals, with over 3,000 citations, as well as numerous conference proceedings, book chapters, and review articles.
Among his scientific books is the monograph Statistical Physics for Cosmic Structures (Springer, 2005), co-authored with Andrea Gabrielli, Michael Joyce, and Luciano Pietronero.
Books and Science Policy
Alongside his scientific research, Sylos Labini has written extensively on science policy, higher education, and the relationship between science and society. His books include (in English):
- Science and the Economic Crisis: Impact and Lessons (Springer, 2016)
- Conflict, Climate and Inequalities: Convergence to a World Crisis (with Matteo Caravani, Springer, 2025)
and in Italian
- I ricercatori non crescono sugli alberi (with Stefano Zapperi, Laterza, 2010)
- Università 3.0 (2014)
- Paolo Sylos Labini: Economista e cittadino (2015)Rischio e previsione (Laterza, 2016)
- Guida del Museo Storico della Fisica del CREF (2021)
- Bussola per un mondo in tempesta (with Matteo Caravani, 2024)
Public Engagement and Outreach
Sylos Labini is a co-founder, editor, and president of ROARS (Return on Academic Research and School), one of Italy’s leading forums on research and higher-education policy. He is also president and co-founder of the Paolo Sylos Labini Association (APSL).
He regularly contributes opinion pieces and commentary on science, education, and public policy to Italian newspapers and magazines, including Il Fatto Quotidiano, Left, Scienza in Rete, Aspenia, and EuroScientist.
He has been interviewed by major Italian and international media outlets, including Nature, Science, Research Europe, Rai, La7, Sky, Radio Rai, Radio Popolare, and Radio 24.
Since 2024, he has been a member of the Scientific Committee of the cultural journal Il Ponte.
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