Antonio José Roque da Silva is General Director of the Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM) and Full Professor of the Physics Institute at University of São Paulo (IFUSP). He was, from 2009 until 2018, Director of the Brazilian Synchrotron Light Laboratory (LNLS) of CNPEM, when he coordinated the project, development and construction of the new Brazilian synchrotron light source, Sirius. He holds a bachelor's and master's degree in physics from University of Campinas (Unicamp), a doctorate and postdoctoral degree from the University of California at Berkeley and a postdoctoral degree from the University of California at Los Angeles. He works in Condensed Matter Physics and Atomic and Molecular Physics. He is a Full Member of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences (ABC) and member of the Academy of Sciences of the São Paulo State (ACIESP). In 2018, he was awarded the National Medal of Order of Scientific Merit, and he is a board member of the National Association for Research and Development of Innovative Companies (ANPEI).