Nuno Loureiro, a 47-year-old MIT plasma physicist and director of the Plasma Science and Fusion Center, was shot at his Brookline home on Monday and died the next day. Authorities are investigating his death as a homicide and have not identified a suspect. MIT colleagues praised Loureiro's scientific leadership and mentorship, while the FBI said there is no known link between his killing and a separate shooting at Brown University two days earlier. Loureiro's award-winning research in nonlinear plasma dynamics earned him international recognition.
MIT Professor Nuno Loureiro Fatally Shot; Campus Mourns Renowned Fusion Scientist
MIT professor Nuno Loureiro. / Credit: Jake Belcher
The still-unsolved fatal shooting of a prominent Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor has reverberated across campus and through the global fusion energy research community where he was a leading figure.
Nuno Loureiro, 47, who taught plasma physics at MIT and directed its Plasma Science and Fusion Center, was shot at his Brookline, Massachusetts, home on Monday and died at a nearby hospital the following day. Authorities are investigating his death as a homicide; no suspect has been publicly identified.
Tributes From Colleagues
"Nuno was not only a brilliant scientist, he was a brilliant person," colleague Dennis Whyte wrote in an obituary published by MIT. "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."
MIT President Sally Kornbluth also expressed condolences to Loureiro's family, students and colleagues, calling the loss "shocking" and noting the deep impact on the Institute's research community.
Investigation And Context
Brookline police are treating the incident as a homicide. Authorities have not named a suspect. The shooting occurred two days after a separate attack at Brown University in Rhode Island that left two people dead and nine injured; FBI Boston Special Agent in Charge Ted Docks said there is no indication the two shootings are related.
Sources who spoke with CBS News said Loureiro was not engaged in any classified research; MIT has stated that it does not conduct classified work on campus.
Scientific Legacy
A native of Portugal, Loureiro held previous positions at Imperial College London and Princeton. According to his MIT biography, he "used a combination of analytical theory and state-of-the-art simulations to investigate several topics in nonlinear plasma dynamics, particularly magnetic reconnection, turbulence and instabilities."
His work earned broad recognition, including the American Physical Society's Thomas H. Stix Award for Outstanding Early Career Contributions to Plasma Physics Research and the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers. Colleagues and students remembered him for both his scientific achievements and his mentorship.
Authorities have asked anyone with information to contact the Brookline Police Department as the investigation continues.
