Timothy Berkelbach

Timothy Berkelbach is an Associate Professor in the Department of Chemistry at Columbia University and a Research Scientist at the Flatiron Institute's Center for Computational Quantum Physics. He holds a B.A. from New York University (2009) and a Ph.D. from Columbia University (2014), followed by a postdoctoral fellowship at Princeton University (2014–2016). His research focuses on developing and applying computational methods in quantum chemistry and materials science, particularly excited states and spectroscopy. He has received prestigious awards including the AFOSR Young Investigator Award, Sloan Fellowship, NSF CAREER Award, and PECASE.

His work bridges theoretical chemistry and computational physics, with applications to plasmons, excitons, and electronic structure in materials. Berkelbach’s contributions include advancements in coupled-cluster theory, GW/BSE methods, and software like PySCF. His research explores phenomena such as anharmonic vibrations in clathrates, plasmon-exciton coupling, and superconductivity in cuprates. He also investigates quantum transport in organic crystals and catalytic effects of electric fields.

• Education: B.A., NYU (2009); Ph.D., Columbia University (2014)
• Labs/Teams: Center for Computational Quantum Physics (Flatiron Institute), Columbia Chemistry Department
• Grants: NSF CAREER Award, AFOSR funding