Nuno F.G. Loureiro, a 47-year-old Portuguese-born professor at MIT, was fatally shot in his Brookline, Massachusetts, home on December 15, 2025, in a homicide linked to Claudio Manuel Neves Valente, the suspect in the Brown University mass shooting. Authorities confirmed the connection on December 18 after finding Valente dead from a self-inflicted gunshot in New Hampshire. MIT students held a candlelight vigil outside his home shortly after news spread.​
Academic Career
Loureiro earned his undergraduate degree in physics from Instituto Superior Técnico in Lisbon in 2000 and his Ph.D. from Imperial College London in 2005. He conducted postdoctoral research at Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory and UKAEA Culham Centre for Fusion Energy, then returned to Portugal as a principal investigator at IST Lisbon’s Institute for Plasmas and Nuclear Fusion in 2009. In 2016, he joined MIT as a professor in nuclear science and engineering and physics, becoming full professor in 2021, deputy director of the Plasma Science and Fusion Center in 2022, and director in 2024.​
Research and Awards
His work focused on plasma dynamics, magnetic reconnection, and turbulence, advancing fusion science and phenomena like solar flares through computational simulations. Loureiro received the 2015 Thomas H. Stix Award from the American Physical Society, NSF CAREER Award in 2017, and Presidential Early Career Award in January 2025 from President Biden. He was twice honored with MIT’s PAI Outstanding Professor Award for teaching plasma physics and MHD theory courses.​
Legacy and Tributes
Colleagues like Physics Department head Deepto Chakrabarty praised him as a champion for plasma physics, engaging colleague, and inspiring mentor. He held the Herman Feshbach Professor of Physics title and affiliations with MIT Energy Initiative and Kavli Institute. Loureiro expressed early passion for science and love for teaching in interviews.
