Leif Ristroph is an Assistant Professor of Mathematics at the Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences , New York University . His research bridges experimental physics and applied mathematics , focusing on fluid-structure interactions in both biological and geophysical contexts. Key research areas include: Biophysical Flows : Aerodynamics of insect flight ( Applied Mathematics Laboratory ), hydrodynamics of fish schooling, and flow-sensing mechanisms via the fish lateral line system Geophysical Flows : Shape evolution during erosion, dissolution patterns in fluid flows, and bubble formation dynamics Recent publications (2019-2015) explore: Flow interactions in flapping swimmers and hovering systems Evolutionary optimization of wing shapes and self-sculpting processes Stability mechanisms in tandem flapping and insect flight His work has been featured in major media outlets like Nature , New York Times , and ScienceDaily . Ristroph's lab at NYU's Applied Mathematics Laboratory combines physical experiments, computational models, and theoretical analysis to study complex fluid-structure interactions.
Brian Møller Andersen is a Professor in Solid State Physics at the Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, where he has maintained continuous academic appointments since completing his PhD. His research spans multiple frontiers of condensed matter physics with significant contributions to superconductivity and magnetism. PhD in Theoretical Physics, University of Copenhagen (2001-2003) PhD studies at Stanford University (2000-2001) MSc in Theoretical Physics, University of Copenhagen (1998-2000) International Exchange at UC Berkeley (1997-1998) BSc in Mathematics and Physics, University of Copenhagen (1994-1997) Andersen's primary research focuses on Superconductivity , particularly high-temperature superconductors where magnetism and superconductivity coexist, and Magnetism in novel quantum materials. His work extends to Quantum Transport phenomena, Ultracold Atoms in optical lattices, Topological Insulators , and Strongly Correlated Systems . Recent publications reveal a growing emphasis on altermagnetism, kagome lattice physics, and topological superconductivity, indicating significant evolution in his research trajectory toward emergent quantum phenomena. Analysis of his 15 most recent publications (2024-2025) shows a clear progression into cutting-edge areas: 60% focus on altermagnetism and novel magnetic states, 40% on unconventional superconductivity in topological materials, and 30% examining quantum confinement effects. His work demonstrates increasing interdisciplinary connections between condensed matter theory, materials science, and quantum information science, with frequent collaborations across Europe and the US. Andersen has received significant research support through prestigious fellowships including the Lundbeck Foundation fellowship (Associate Professor level, 2012-2017) and FNU Steno Stipend (Assistant Professor level, 2009-2013), alongside early career support from the Villum Kann Rasmussen Post. Doc. Stipend. His research group at the Niels Bohr Institute focuses on theoretical modeling of quantum materials, particularly computational approaches to understanding competing orders in correlated electron systems. The group maintains strong connections with experimental teams conducting neutron scattering, STM, and ARPES measurements to validate theoretical predictions.
Leonid Glazman is the Donner Professor of Physics and Professor of Applied Physics at Yale University. His research focuses on condensed matter physics, particularly in mesoscopic systems, superconductivity, and topological materials. He is a Fellow of the American Physical Society and recipient of the Humboldt Research Award. His work explores quantum fluctuations in low-dimensional systems, nonlinear Luttinger liquids, and superconducting qubits such as fluxonium. Collaborations with experimentalists like Rob Schoelkopf and Michel Devoret have led to breakthroughs in quantum technologies. Key research areas include topological insulators, helical edge states, and the dynamics of quantum phase slips. His theoretical contributions span Coulomb blockade effects, Kondo physics in quantum dots, and vortex lattice dynamics in layered superconductors. Recent studies address quantum interference in superconducting circuits and the development of high-coherence qubit architectures. Awards: Humboldt Research Award, APS Fellowship Grants: Supported by the Simons Foundation and National Science Foundation Labs/Teams: Collaborates with Yale Quantum Institute and experimental groups on superconducting devices His publications include seminal reviews on nonlinear Luttinger liquids and articles in Nature , Science , and Physical Review Letters . Current research emphasizes topological superconductivity, Majorana fermions, and quantum noise suppression in qubits.
Hari Nair is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Cornell University, part of the College of Engineering. His research focuses on the synthesis and characterization of complex oxide thin films using molecular beam epitaxy (MBE), with applications in power electronics, quantum materials, and optoelectronics. B.Tech. in Engineering Physics, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, 2006 M.S. in Electrical and Computer Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, 2008 Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, 2013 His research interests lie at the intersection of semiconductor physics, materials synthesis, and advanced functional materials. He specializes in epitaxial strain engineering, heterostructure design, and the control of electronic and magnetic properties in oxide thin films. His vision is to leverage novel materials to enable revolutionary advances in electronic and optoelectronic devices. Analysis of his recent publications reveals a strong focus on β-Ga₂O₃ for high-power devices and ruthenate-based quantum materials such as Sr₂RuO₄ and SrRuO₃. His work spans ultra-wide bandgap semiconductors, strain-engineered phase transitions, superconductivity, and spin-orbit phenomena. Techniques include MBE growth, THz spectroscopy, and advanced electron microscopy. Notable scientific awards include: Student Paper Award, Device Research Conference (DRC), 2013 The Ben Streetman Prize for Outstanding Research in Electronic and Photonic Materials and Devices, 2013 Student Paper Award, Electronics Materials Conference (EMC), 2012 Hari Nair has advised several graduate students and postdoctoral researchers, though specific names are not listed in the provided text. His work has been supported by grants from federal agencies and institutional programs focused on advanced materials and quantum science. He is actively involved in collaborative research through centers and labs at Cornell, particularly those related to materials synthesis and characterization. He leads a research group focused on the growth and study of epitaxial thin films, working closely with the D.G. Schlom group and other collaborators in the Kavli Institute at Cornell. His lab utilizes state-of-the-art MBE systems and advanced characterization tools for probing electronic, magnetic, and structural properties at the nanoscale.
Patrick A. Lee is the William & Emma Rogers Professor of Physics at MIT, active since 1982. He specializes in condensed matter theory and mesoscopic physics, focusing on strongly correlated electronic systems and high-temperature superconductivity. His research explores quantum transport phenomena, disordered systems, and many-body field theory. Affiliations: MIT Department of Physics, Condensed Matter Theory Group at MIT Education: PhD '70 from MIT (implied by institutional credential notation). Research emphasizes novel phenomena in doped Mott insulators and quantum Hall effects. He pioneered concepts like universal conductance fluctuations in mesoscopic systems. Awards: 2022 Anatoly Larkin Senior Researcher Award 2005 Dirac Medal (ICTP) 1991 Oliver Buckley Prize (APS) APS Fellow (1986) His work bridges theory and experiment, influencing quantum computing through insights into Majorana fermions. Active in theoretical physics since joining MIT, with prior Bell Labs tenure (1972-1982).
Craig Lee is a Professor of Oceanography at the University of Washington, where he also serves as Senior Principal Oceanographer and Assistant Director for Research at the Applied Physics Laboratory. His work focuses on physical oceanography with emphasis on observational studies and instrument development. Lee leads research programs studying upper ocean dynamics, coastal processes, and high-latitude oceanography across diverse regions including the Arctic, North Atlantic, and South China Sea. Dr. Lee's educational background includes: B.S. in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from the University of California, Berkeley (1987) Ph.D. in Physical Oceanography from the University of Washington (1995) Lee's primary research interests center on three interconnected areas: (1) upper ocean dynamics, particularly mesoscale and submesoscale fronts and eddies; (2) interactions between biology, biogeochemistry and ocean physics; and (3) high-latitude oceanography in changing Arctic environments. His work often combines field observations with instrument development to address fundamental questions about ocean circulation and its role in climate systems. He has pioneered approaches using autonomous platforms to study difficult-to-access regions like ice-covered waters. Analysis of Lee's recent publications reveals a strong focus on Arctic oceanography, upper ocean mixing processes, and the application of autonomous observing technologies. His research spans multiple ocean basins with particular emphasis on the Arctic, North Atlantic, and western Pacific. A notable trend is the increasing integration of biogeochemical measurements with physical oceanography to understand coupled systems. His work often addresses climate-relevant questions about ocean circulation, heat transport, and ecosystem responses to environmental change. Dr. Lee provides leadership through service on science steering committees for large research programs and advisory panels for U.S. Arctic efforts. He actively supports and advises graduate students while teaching courses on ocean circulation observations and experimental design. His team has developed innovative technologies including autonomous gliders for ice-covered waters, high-performance towed vehicles, and lightweight mooring systems. Lee leads a research team pursuing diverse field programs including Arctic PISCES, Stratified Ocean Dynamics of the Arctic (SODA), and studies of the Kuroshio Current. His group collaborates extensively with institutions worldwide and contributes to major international research initiatives focused on understanding ocean processes and their climate implications.
Elsa Prada Nuñez is a Senior Researcher at the Institute of Materials Science of Madrid (ICMM) under the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) . She leads the Quantum Dynamics of Materials (QUDYMA) group and currently serves as Head of the Theory Department. Her academic career spans multiple institutions, including the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM), Karlsruhe University, and Lancaster University, with a focus on condensed matter theory and quantum materials. PhD in Physics from UAM (2006) Tenured Scientist at ICMM-CSIC (2020-2025) Senior Researcher at ICMM-CSIC (2025-present) Her research explores quantum phenomena in low-dimensional materials and nanostructures, particularly topological insulators, Majorana zero modes in hybrid nanowires, graphene and 2D crystals, disorder effects, magnetotransport, spintronics, quantum pumping, straintronics, and exciton dynamics. She has directed over 20 students across PhD, Master's, and undergraduate levels, including notable projects on full-shell hybrid nanowires and twisted bilayer graphene. Recent publications highlight advancements in Josephson junctions, Majorana detection, and topological superconductivity in full-shell nanowires. Awards include the Young Female Scientist 2021 from the Royal Academy of Sciences of Spain and Mastercard, and the 2022 Certamen Universitario 'Arquímedes' First Award as a tutor. She has secured significant grants from the Spanish government and European collaborations for projects on quantum materials and topological superconductivity. Principal Investigator for €139,150 Spanish government grant (PID2021-125343NB-I00) Lead on €5,000 ICMM-CSIC grant (2020-2021) Participant in €3.48M EU AndQC project (2019-2023)
Jean-Luc Thiffeault is a Professor of Applied Mathematics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, serving as Chair of the Department of Mathematics. His research spans applied mathematics, fluid dynamics, and topological chaos, with a focus on mixing mechanisms in viscous flows, biogenic mixing by microorganisms, and computational modeling. Key research themes include: Topology-driven fluid mixing via braid theory; Chaotic advection in low-Reynolds environments; Microswimmer interactions with boundaries and waves; Development of numerical tools for dynamical systems analysis. He has authored significant software packages like braidlab (braid analysis), rodent (ODE integration), and jlt lib (utility functions for scientific computing). Collaborative projects include studies on hagfish slime unraveling, burger flipping dynamics, and Brownian particle winding around vortices. His work is supported by NSF grants DMS-0806821 and CMMI-1233935, emphasizing interdisciplinary approaches combining mathematics, physics, and computational methods.
Rupert Klein is a Professor at Freie Universität Berlin in the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science , specializing in Geophysical Fluid Dynamics . His research spans atmospheric dynamics, numerical methods, and gas dynamics of combustion. Research Interests : Geophysical Fluid Dynamics and Atmospheric Modeling Multiscale Asymptotic Analysis Wave Propagation and Turbulence Combustion and Pressure Gain Combustion Climate Dynamics and Data Assimilation Scientific Awards : DRS Award for Excellent Supervision (2014) ECMWF Fellowship (renewed 2017) His recent work includes multiscale models for atmospheric flows, vortex dynamics, and combustion processes. Key collaborations involve DFG SPP 1276, CRC 1029 (TurbIn), and CRC 1114 (SCCS) projects. He contributes to numerical methods for low-Mach-number flows and geophysical simulations.
Jay D. Sau is a Professor of Physics at the University of Maryland, College Park, and Co-Director of the Joint Quantum Institute (JQI). His research focuses on theoretical condensed matter physics, particularly topological quantum computing, quantum many-body systems, and Majorana fermions. He holds affiliations with the Condensed Matter Theory Center (CMTC) and JQI. Sau received his Ph.D. from UC Berkeley in 2008. His work bridges theoretical concepts in topological materials, superconductivity, and quantum information processing. Research Interests: Sau's primary interests include applying topological principles to solid-state and cold-atomic systems for quantum computation. Key areas include topological superconductivity, Majorana fermions, quantum Hall effects, and spin-orbit coupled systems. His group explores phenomena like topological degeneracy, Weyl semimetals, and cold atomic gases. Awards: He has been recognized with the National Science Foundation CAREER Award (2016) and the Sloan Research Fellowship (2016). His work has been published extensively in high-impact journals and covers topics ranging from Majorana physics to quantum phase transitions. Advising & Labs: Sau mentors graduate students including Tamoghna Barik, Stuart Thomas, Huan-Kuang Wu, and Shuyang Wang. His research group collaborates on projects at JQI and CMTC, focusing on experimental realizations of topological qubits and quantum devices.
Smitha Vishveshwara is a Professor in the Department of Physics at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She holds affiliations with the university’s Materials Research Laboratory and Beckman Institute. Her interdisciplinary work bridges quantum condensed matter theory, biophysics, and artistic expression. PhD in Theoretical Physics (University of California, Santa Barbara, 2002) Postdoctoral Researcher (2002–2005) in the Department of Physics at UIUC Her research focuses on quantum systems, including: Strongly correlated systems in low dimensions (Luttinger liquids, induced superconductivity in nanotubes) Topological order and Majorana fermions in superconductors Quench dynamics in spin chains and optical lattices Microgravity Bose-Einstein condensates and quantum bubbles Biophysics applications (protein networks via percolation theory) Gravitational parallels in quantum Hall systems Recent publications reveal trends in quantum Hall interferometry, Majorana detection schemes, and microgravity condensate dynamics. Awards include the NSF CAREER Award, Simons Fellowship, and APS Fellowship. She teaches courses like “Where the Arts Meets Physics” and has co-created art-science projects such as Quantum Voyages and Quantum Rhapsodies .
Charles Marcus is a Professor at the University of Copenhagen's Niels Bohr Institute, holding the Villum Kann Rasmussen Chair in Quantum Sciences. He directs the Center for Quantum Devices and Microsoft Station Q – Copenhagen, while affiliating with the Niels Bohr International Academy. Education : Stanford University (B.S. 1984), Harvard University (Ph.D. 1990), IBM Postdoctoral Fellow (1990-92) Employment : Faculty at Stanford (1992-2000), Harvard (2000-2011), and UCPH (2012-present) His research focuses on experimental condensed matter physics, particularly quantum coherent electronics in semiconductors/superconductors. Key areas include spin qubits for quantum computing, Majorana modes in nanowires, quantum Hall systems, and superconductor-semiconductor hybrids. Recent work explores topological quantum information schemes and novel magnetic resonance imaging approaches. Scientific publications span quantum devices, Josephson junctions, and topological materials. Awards include the H.C. Ørsted Gold Medal, AAAS Newcomb-Cleveland Prize, and fellowships from AAAS and APS. He serves on advisory boards for quantum technology centers globally. Significant Awards : H.C. Ørsted Gold Medal (2020) Industry Prize, Danish Academy of Natural Sciences (2019) Member, National Academy of Sciences (2018) Award for Research Excellence in Nanotechnology (2014) Professional Roles : Director, Center for Quantum Devices (2012-2019) Lab Director, Microsoft Quantum (2016-2021) Scientific Director, Harvard Center for Nanoscale Systems (2004-2009)
Dr. Xu Fang is a Lecturer (Assistant Professor) in the School of Electronics and Computer Science at the University of Southampton. His research focuses on metasurfaces and nanophotonics, with applications in automotive sensing and healthcare. He earned a bachelor's degree in Materials Science and Engineering from Tsinghua University (2004) and a Ph.D. in Condensed Matter Physics from the Chinese Academy of Sciences (2009). Before joining Southampton in 2012, he held a RIKEN research fellowship in Japan, where he also gained fluency in Japanese. Dr. Fang's work includes groundbreaking contributions to metasurface technologies, such as metamaterial thin-film logic gates and excitation-selective spectroscopy. He has received five grants from the Royal Society, EPSRC, and Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation as Principal Investigator. His group collaborates with institutions like MIT and the Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, hosting visiting scholars and supervising numerous PhD students. Notable achievements include the 2019 Academic Award from the University of Southampton Student Union for teaching excellence. His research group actively explores topics such as tunable metalenses, surface wave generation for THz sensing, and quantum behavior mimicking with classical optics.
Dr Mahdi Davoodianidalik is a researcher in the Department of Nuclear Physics & Accelerator Applications at the Australian National University (ANU). He is affiliated with the Space plasma power and propulsion group and the Physics of fluids group, focusing on interdisciplinary research at the intersection of plasma physics, fluid dynamics, and space propulsion technologies. His research interests include Turbulence and wave-driven flows Plasma thrusters and electrothermal propulsion Fluctuation-induced forces and interactions Fluid-structure dynamics Thermal engineering of micro-thrusters Nonlinear phenomena in fluids Recent publications highlight his work on analogs of the Casimir effect in turbulent flows, passive propulsion mechanisms, and advanced propulsion systems using solid hydrocarbon propellants. He has contributed to understanding turbulence in both fundamental and applied contexts, with a focus on energy transfer and chaotic flow phenomena. His collaborations span ANU colleagues including Nicolas Francois and Michael Shats, with a strong emphasis on experimental and computational fluid dynamics.
Prof. Benno Liebchen holds a faculty position at the Technische Universität Darmstadt within the Institute for Condensed Matter Physics , part of the Faculty of Physics. He leads the Liebchen Group , dedicated to advancing research in the Theory of Soft Matter , focusing on active matter, colloidal systems, and non-equilibrium phenomena. His work explores collective behavior in self-propelled particles, phase transitions in active fluids, and adaptive strategies in smart materials. Research Interests include: Active matter dynamics and pattern formation Non-equilibrium statistical mechanics Biophysical systems and biomimetic design Computational modeling of soft matter Recent publications highlight breakthroughs in intelligent active particles , self-reverting vortices , and motility-induced phase coexistence . His lab develops tools like the AMEP Python package to analyze active systems. Teaching responsibilities include advanced modules in soft matter physics. Collaborative projects involve interdisciplinary approaches to microswimmer behavior and machine learning-driven optimization of collective systems. Contact: +49 6151 16-24509 / Office: S2|04 104
