Page 54 - 2013 Annual Report

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SCIENTIFIC ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Renate Loll
, Radboud University (2010-Present), Chair
Professor Loll is a Professor of Theoretical Physics at the Institute
for Mathematics, Astrophysics and Particle Physics of the Radboud
University in Nijmegen, Netherlands. Her research centres on
quantum gravity, the search for a consistent theory that describes
the microscopic constituents of spacetime geometry and the
quantum-dynamical laws governing their interaction. She has
made major contributions to loop quantum gravity and, with her
collaborators, has proposed a novel theory of quantum gravity via
“Causal Dynamical Triangulations.” Professor Loll heads one of
the largest research groups on non-perturbative quantum gravity
worldwide and is the recipient of a prestigious personal VICI-grant of
the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research. Professor Loll
is also a Perimeter Distinguished Visiting Research Chair.
Matthew Fisher
, Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics/University of
California, Santa Barbara (2009-Present)
Professor Fisher is a condensed matter theorist whose research has
focused on strongly correlated systems, especially low-dimensional
systems, Mott insulators, quantum magnetism, and the quantum
Hall effect. He received the Alan T. Waterman Award from the
National Science Foundation in 1995 and the National Academy of
Sciences Award for Initiatives in Research in 1997. He was elected
as a Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in
2003 and to the National Academy in 2012, and became a Perimeter
Distinguished Visiting Research Chair in 2013. Professor Fisher has
more than 160 publications.
Brian Greene
, Columbia University (2010-Present)
Professor Greene is a Professor of Mathematics and Physics at
Columbia University, where he is co-Director of the Institute for
Strings, Cosmology, and Astroparticle Physics (ISCAP). Professor
Greene has made ground-breaking discoveries in superstring theory,
exploring the physical implications and mathematical properties of
the extra dimensions the theory posits. His current research centres
on string cosmology, seeking to understand the physics of the
universe’s first moments. Professor Greene is well known for his work
on communicating theoretical physics for general audiences, and his
books include
The Elegant Universe
, which has sold more than a
million copies worldwide;
The Fabric of the Cosmos
, which spent
six months on The New York Times Best Seller list; and
The Hidden
Reality
, which debuted at number four on The New York Times Best
Seller list. A three-part NOVA special based on
The Elegant Universe
won both the Emmy and Peabody Awards.
Erik Peter Verlinde
, Institute of Theoretical Physics/University of
Amsterdam (2010-Present)
Professor Verlinde is a Professor of Theoretical Physics at the Institute
for Theoretical Physics at the University of Amsterdam. He is world
renowned for his many contributions, including Verlinde algebra and
the Verlinde formula, which are important in conformal field theory
and topological field theory. His research centres on string theory,
gravity, cosmology, and black holes. Professor Verlinde recently
proposed a holographic theory of gravity which appears to lead
naturally to the observed values of dark energy in the universe.
Birgitta Whaley
, Berkeley Quantum Information and Computation
Center/University of California, Berkeley (2010-Present)
Professor Whaley is a Professor in the Department of Chemistry at
the University of California, Berkeley, where she is Director of the
Berkeley Quantum Information and Computation Center. Professor
Whaley’s research centres on understanding and manipulating
quantum dynamics of atoms, molecules, and nanomaterials in
complex environments to explore fundamental issues in quantum
behaviour. She has made major contributions to the analysis and
control of decoherence and universality in quantum information
processing, as well as to the analysis of physical implementations of
quantum computation. Professor Whaley is also known for her theory
of molecular solvation in nanoscale superfluid helium systems. Her
current research includes theoretical analysis of quantum information
and computation, coherent control and simulation of complex
quantum systems, macroscopic quantum coherence, and quantum
effects in biological systems.