Anna Grassellino
Chief Technology Officer, Fermilab
Associate Lab Director, Technology Directorate (Interim)
SQMS Center Director
Areas of Expertise: Quantum Devices, Radio Frequency Superconductivity, Microwave Engineering, Materials Science, Quantum Sensing
Thrust: Technology, Science, Ecosystem
Anna Grassellino is Chief Technology Officer (CTO) and Associate Laboratory Director (interim) for the Technology Directorate at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, where she leads the laboratory’s strategic vision and execution in advanced technologies, including quantum information science, superconducting systems, AI and scientific computing, and accelerator technology innovation. She is also Director of the U.S. Department of Energy National Quantum Information Science Research Center, Superconducting Quantum Materials and Systems (SQMS), a multi-institutional collaboration advancing next-generation quantum computing, communication and sensing.
An internationally recognized physicist and technology leader, Grassellino has made pioneering contributions to superconducting radio-frequency (SRF) technology, including the discovery and development of nitrogen doping techniques that have transformed accelerator performance worldwide. Her work has enabled major scientific facilities such as LCLS-II and future next-generation accelerators, while opening new frontiers in quantum systems based on ultra-high coherence superconducting cavities.
Under her leadership, the SQMS Center has grown into a global collaboration of more than 40 partner institutions and over 500 researchers, bridging fundamental science, engineering, and industry to address critical challenges in quantum coherence and scalability. She has led the development of cutting-edge facilities such as the Quantum Garage and helped launch national workforce development initiatives, including the first U.S. Quantum Information Science School.
Grassellino serves as a member of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science Advisory Committee (SCAC), a federal advisory body that provides independent, consensus advice to the DOE Office of Science on complex scientific and technical issues, including research priorities, program balance, and cross-disciplinary opportunities. She is also Chair of the SCAC Quantum Subcommittee, where she helps guide national strategy in quantum information science and emerging technologies.
She has held numerous leadership roles at Fermilab, including Deputy Chief Technology Officer and Division Director, and is an Adjunct Professor of Physics at Northwestern University. She has been a member of Fermilab’s senior leadership team since 2016.
Her scientific achievements have been recognized with major honors, including the Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics, the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, and election as Fellow of the American Physical Society. In 2024, she was named Knight of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic.