new faculty

Dr. Hoi-Kwan (Kero) Lau

Asst. Prof., Dept. of Physics

Theoretical quantum information science: Dr. Lau’s research group studies the theoretical physics of engineered quantum systems and analyzes their applications in quantum information processing. Their focus is on bosonic systems, which are ubiquitous across numerous platforms (e.g. photonic, atomic, superconducting devices) with advantages such as high information capacity and scalability, but are less studied due to their high complexity. By developing novel strategies to understand and remedy the imperfections of realistic systems, Dr. Lau’s research will lead to more advanced quantum devices, such as large-scale quantum computers and accurate quantum sensors. 

Read more:  Dr. Lau's profile on the Department of Physics website.

Dr. Haolun Shi

Asst. Prof., Dept. of Statistics and Actuarial Science

Biostatistical modeling and analysis of complex functional and longitudinal data: Dr. Shi’s research program uses statistical methods and models to explore various areas in biostatistics, such as medical imaging, survival analysis, and clinical trial design, with the goal of developing useful computational tools and new statistical methodologies for modeling and analysis of complex functional and longitudinal data. Taken together, Dr. Shi’s research will be of interest to practitioners in research areas such as Alzheimer's disease, medical imaging, and pharmaceutical research, in which the analysis of complex functional and longitudinal data is needed.

Read more:  Dr. Shi’s profile on the Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science website.

Dr. Valentin Jaumouillé

Asst. Prof., Dept. of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry

Mechanobiology and morphodynamics of immune cells: Dr. Jaumouillé’s research explores how immune cells generate and sense mechanical forces using quantitative high-resolution live cell microscopy. Many cellular processes employed by immune cells require force generation: recruitment and migration, killing by phagocytosis or degranulation, antigen discrimination. Moreover, immune responses are largely affected by the mechanical properties of the tissue environment. The program, positioned at the interface of immunology, cell biology, biophysics and microbiology, aims to understand molecular and biophysical mechanisms involved in the clearance of microbes or malignant cells toward developing new therapeutic approaches.

Read more: Dr. Jaumouillé's profile on the Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry website.

Dr. Jake Levinson

Asst. Prof., Dept. of Mathematics

Combinatorial aspects of algebraic geometry: Dr. Levinson’s research program focuses on classification and enumeration in algebra and geometry, with the goal of understanding moduli (parameter) spaces for objects such as planes, curves and surfaces. Enumerative questions are among the first questions to pursue, because the answer is just a number: the count of how many objects there are of a particular type. In turn, the tools developed to pursue these "finite" questions pave the way to understanding higher-dimensional and global questions about these moduli spaces and the objects they parametrize. A key theme of this program is to develop crossover results connecting the techniques, intuitions and avenues of inquiry of geometry and combinatorics.

Read more:  Dr. Levinson's profile on the Department of Mathematics website.

Dr. David Stenning

Asst. Prof., Dept. of Statistics and Actuarial Science

Read more:  Dr. Stenning's profile on the Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science website.

Dr. Matthias Danninger

Asst. Prof., Dept. of Physics

Experimental particle physics: The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) is the most powerful particle accelerator ever built and provides a unique opportunity to explore the high-energy frontier in particle physics. Dr. Danninger uses the ATLAS detector at the LHC to search for signs of long-lived new particle signatures, to shed light on the universe’s biggest remaining mysteries: why matter prevailed over antimatter in the early universe, or what exactly dark matter is. Searching for these particles is highly challenging as they have the tendency to avoid interactions, making them elusive to detection.

Read more:  Dr. Danninger’s profile on the Department of Physics website.

Dr. Ly Vu

Asst. Prof., Dept. of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry

Read more:  Dr. Vu's profile on the Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry website.

Dr. Jessica Pilarczyk

Asst. Prof., Dept. of Earth Science

Coastal hazards: Dr. Pilarczyk’s research program explores how coastal environments have been altered by extreme events and gradual environmental changes. Aiming to improve hazard mitigation for coastal communities, Dr. Pilarczyk examines the clues left behind by past earthquakes, tsunamis, storms, and sea level change.  These clues are preserved in coastal sediments and answer questions regarding the type, duration, frequency, and intensity of hazards impacting a given coastline.  New knowledge generated through this research will provide insight into long-term variability in coastal hazards over the last centuries to millennia.  This improved understanding of long-term processes and impacts will inform models that can be applied to forecast the risk of hazards to coastal communities.

Read more: Dr. Pilarczyk’s profile on the Department of Earth Sciences website.