Naruki Masuda

Naruki Masuda is an Assistant Professor (postdoctoral position) at Northwestern University since September 2025, specializing in advanced mathematical research. Previously, he was a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Hamburg (CRC 1624) from 2024-2025 and completed his graduate studies at Johns Hopkins University from 2018-2024.

His educational background includes doctoral studies at Johns Hopkins University where he completed his thesis titled "The algebra of categorical spectra," which explores categorical spectra as a generalization of spectra in homotopy theory. His thesis work introduces the tensor product of categorical spectra and applies these concepts to derive the cobordism hypothesis with singularities from the plain version.

Dr. Masuda's research focuses on the intersection of homotopy theory, topology, and category theory. His work bridges abstract mathematical concepts with concrete geometric applications, particularly in categorical spectra, Calabi-Yau geometry, and polytope theory. His research has significant implications for theoretical physics, especially in topological quantum field theories and mathematical physics frameworks.

His publication record demonstrates progression from foundational work in polytope theory to advanced topics in categorical spectra and Calabi-Yau geometry. His most recent work explores sheaf theory applications, indicating expanding research connecting traditional algebraic topology with modern categorical frameworks. His articles collectively represent significant contributions to higher category theory and its applications in geometry and topology.

Dr. Masuda is actively involved in academic service, having co-organized the Research Seminar on Quantum Topology and Categorification (QTCat) 2024-2025 and the JHU topology seminar 2022-2024. He also organized the prismatic cohomology seminar at Johns Hopkins in spring 2023 with David Gepner and Milton Lin, delivering talks on Hodge-Tate comparison and perfectoid rings.

His teaching responsibilities at Northwestern include Multivariable differential calculus for Engineering (Fall 2025) and a specialized course on Higher Category Theory (March 2025), reflecting both his ability to teach foundational mathematics and advanced specialized topics. His lecture notes reveal a structured approach to complex mathematical concepts, particularly in (∞,1)-categories, stable categories, and categorical spectra.