Vasily PestunView profile
Professor
Vasily Pestun is a Permanent Professor of theoretical physics at the Institut des Hautes Études Scientifiques (IHÉS) in Bures-sur-Yvette, France, a position he has held since 2014. Previously he was a member at the Institute for Advanced Study (2011–2014) and a Junior Fellow of the Harvard Society of Fellows (2008–2011). Education Ph.D. in Physics, Princeton University (2008). Thesis: Wilson loops in supersymmetric gauge theories under the supervision of Edward Witten. B.S. & M.S. in Physics (summa cum laude), Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (MIPT) (2003). Research Interests Pestun’s research lies at the intersection of quantum field theory, string theory and integrable systems . He is renowned for developing supersymmetric localization techniques that yield exact results in strongly-coupled supersymmetric gauge theories placed on curved manifolds. His recent work explores deep connections between quiver gauge theories , conformal field theories , quantum algebras and integrable systems , with applications to the geometric Langlands programme . Selected Awards & Honours Hermann Weyl Prize (2016) ERC Starting Grant QUASIFT (2015–2020) Junior Fellow, Harvard Society of Fellows (2008–2011) Porter Ogden Jacobus Fellowship, Princeton University (2007–2008) Centennial Fellowship, Princeton University (2003–2008) Joseph Henry Merit Prize, Princeton University (2003) Pomeranchuk Fellowship, ITEP (2003) Russian Federation President Fellowship (1997) Gold Medal, 28th International Physics Olympiad (1997) Grants & Funding Principal Investigator, ERC Starting Grant Quantum Algebraic Structures In Field Theories (QUASIFT) – €1.5 million (2015-2020) Professional Service & Outreach Pestun serves as an editor for Letters in Mathematical Physics and regularly referees for leading journals. He has organised several high-profile meetings and schools, including the 2018 month-long programme “Localization Techniques in Quantum Field Theories” at Stony Brook, and the 2019 IHES conference “Higher Structures in Holomorphic and Topological Field Theory”. He has given more than 100 invited lectures and seminar talks world-wide.









