معرفی
John Huerta is a mathematical physicist currently affiliated with the Department of Mathematics at Instituto Superior Técnico (University of Lisbon) and the Mathematical Sciences Institute at the Australian National University. He will begin a position as senior researcher with the Faculty of Physics at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich in November 2025. His academic journey includes a PhD in Mathematics from the University of California, Riverside (2011) under advisor John Carlos Baez.
His research focuses on quantum topology and mathematical physics, with particular expertise in topological quantum field theories (TQFTs) with defects, factorization algebras, and supergeometry. His work connects deeply with the cobordism hypothesis, state sums, factorization homology, conformal field theories, and distributions on supermanifolds. Huerta's research demonstrates a consistent thread connecting algebraic structures, particularly division algebras, to physical phenomena.
Analysis of his 15 most recent publications reveals a strong focus on supergeometry and its applications to theoretical physics, with particular emphasis on Poincaré duality for supermanifolds, bundle gerbes, and the emergence of spacetime structures from algebraic foundations. His work bridges abstract mathematical concepts with concrete physical applications, particularly in M-theory and supergravity.
Huerta actively supervises graduate students and has previously advised Nino Scalbi (PhD 2019-2024), Rui Peixoto (MSc 2021-2023), and Diogo Freire de Andrade (MSc 2019-2021, now continuing as PhD student). He is currently advising Diogo Freire de Andrade, who will defend in early 2026.
He is a key organizer of academic activities including the TQFT Club (with Roger Picken and Marko Stošić), and has recently organized learning seminars on the mathematics of quantum field theory (2024), higher categories (2023), and TQFTs with defects (2025). His teaching record shows consistently strong evaluations, with an average score of 4.2/5 across all terms taught.
