Person of the Week
134 news
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2026-08-20
Person of the Week
Self-introduction: Abdul Raafik Arattu Thodika
Hi, I work on molecular simulations of protein systems. I completed my Ph.D. at the University of Texas at Arlington in 2026. My research uses multiscale quantum mechanical/molecular mechanical (QM/MM) simulations to understand the thermodynamics and kinetics of chemical reactions in enzymes. A major part of my work involves integrating machine learning with these simulations to make them faster and more accurate.
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2026-04-06
Person of the Week
Self-introduction: Yuta Hamada
I am interested in particle physics such as string theory and early universe cosmology. Recently, I am working on identifying consistent gravitational effective field theories that can be ultraviolet completed. Additionally, I am interested in applying AI and quantum computing to string theory and quantum field theory.
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2026-04-02
Person of the Week
Self-introduction: Muzi Hong
I am doing research in cosmology, especially in early universe physics. Recently, I have been working on topics such as inflation, cosmological perturbations, baryogenesis, and dark energy. Cosmology is an interdisciplinary field, and I look forward to discussing various topics in physics with researchers from other fields.
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2025-12-01
Person of the Week
Self-introduction: Kenji Okubo
I have been using evolutionary simulations of gene regulatory networks to explore how the rules of inheritance change over time. My work has addressed fundamental questions in biology, including the evolutionary meaning of sexual reproduction and why genetic rules such as dominance emerged. More recently, I have been investigating how organisms with additional sets of chromosomes (polyploids) evolved, as well as the evolutionary mechanisms underlying aging. I am also applying mathematical models beyond biology—to language change, statistical patterns in ancient Japanese tombs, and the spread of stone tools. Through this work, I aim to uncover shared mathematical structures that cut across very different fields. Currently, I am incorporating ideas from statistical physics into genetics, seeking new ways to understand gene sequences and evolutionary processes. Moving forward, I hope to use network science and mathematical modeling to reveal the hidden structures and principles that shape complex systems across disciplines.
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2025-11-04
Person of the Week
Self-introduction: Riccardo Muolo
Hello! I'm interested in nonlinear dynamics on networks and higher-order structures, synchronization, Turing pattern formation, control of dynamical systems and mathematical modeling. My background is in nonlinear physics and applied mathematics. I studied in Italy (BSc and MSc)and Belgium (PhD). Before joining iTHEMS, I was a postdoc at Science Tokyo.
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2025-10-28
Person of the Week
Self-introduction: Duc Truyen Le
Hi, I’m Truyen (チュエン), or you can call me Le (レ). I joined iTHEMS, RIKEN, in October 2025 under the IPA Doctoral Program. Before studying in Japan, I pursued my undergraduate studies in theoretical physics at Vietnam National University, followed by a Master’s degree in High Energy Physics at National Tsing Hua University. My passion lies in mathematical physics, particularly in applying mathematical tools to deepen our understanding of fundamental physics and other scientific domains. In the advent of rapid quantum computing development, I joined Professor Masazumi Honda’s lab, where I am working on quantum algorithms for quantum field theory. My research focuses on developing quantum algorithms for high-energy physics models and investigating phenomenological processes where classical approaches reach their limits. In the long term, I aim to extend these quantum methods to interdisciplinary applications across science. Beyond research, I enjoy board games, movies, sports, and exploring different cultures and histories. I am excited to exchange ideas with colleagues, broaden my perspective through cross-disciplinary learning, and contribute to this vibrant research community.
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2025-10-06
Person of the Week
Self-introduction: Yuya Murakami
My goal in life is to connect people through mathematics. Although mathematics is an accumulation of truths, with each step of my research I feel ever more strongly that doing mathematics is an endeavor made possible by human connections. For me, those connections are a true blessing. When I look at completed joint papers, I often think, “I could not have done this alone,” and in those moments I renew my gratitude for the people I have met. Through experiences like these, I naturally came to wish that I could connect people through mathematics. Through research, education, and outreach, I work every day to help connect people and, through those connections, to create new value for each person involved. My research aims are to understand the mysterious object called "quantum modular forms" and, through that lens, to deepen the ties among number theory, topology, mathematical physics, and representation theory. Quantum modular forms, introduced around 2010, are still young and full of mysteries. Their significance lies in their role as a bridge that can reveal deep structures linking these four fields. Focusing on this bridge—quantum modular forms—I work day by day to elucidate the relationships among these areas. As a number theorist, I cannot pursue this agenda alone. Many of my results to date have grown from collaborations with researchers specializing in topology. I will continue to build cross-disciplinary partnerships so that the work is meaningful for multiple communities. This research objective is aligned with my broader life goal of connecting people through mathematics, and I am committed to both. The environment at iTHEMS, where interaction with researchers from diverse disciplines is the norm, is ideal for achieving these goals. I am grateful for this setting and will continue to move this work forward.
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2025-09-04
Person of the Week
Self-introduction: Nikoleta E. Glynatsi
I am an applied mathematician and research software developer, currently working as a research scientist at the RIKEN Center for Computational Science and the Center for Interdisciplinary Theoretical and Mathematical Sciences. Previously, I was a postdoctoral researcher in the Dynamics of Social Behavior research group at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology. I earned my PhD from the School of Mathematics at Cardiff University. My research focuses on applying game-theoretic modeling, agent-based simulations, and data analysis to understand behavior in social dilemmas and across various scientific fields. Beyond my research, I actively contribute to open-source projects. I am a fellow of the Software Sustainability Institute and serve as a topic editor for the Journal of Open Source Software.
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2025-08-27
Person of the Week
Self-introduction: Sungsik Kong
I am interested in developing and understanding methods for inferring phylogenetic networks and hybrid speciation using genomic data under the coalescent model. I was a postdoctoral fellow at The Institute for Computational and Experimental Research in Mathematics (ICERM) at Brown University, mentored by Dr. Elizabeth Allman (University of Alaska-Fairbanks) and Dr. Scott Edwards (Harvard University). I was a postdoctoral research associate in the Solis-Lemus Lab at the Wisconsin Institute for Discovery at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. I received my Ph.D. in Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology at the Ohio State University advised by Dr. Laura Kubatko. I conferred B.Sc. and M.Sc. at University of Toronto, Canada, where I studied evolutionary biology and phylogenetics, advised by Dr. Robert Murphy. I also studied the evolution of Primate behavior with Dr. Deborah McLennan. Moreover, I worked as a researcher at Ewha Womans University in Seoul, South Korea, with Drs. Yikweon Jang and Jae Chun Choe.
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2025-08-27
Person of the Week
Self-introduction: Wei-Hsiang Shao
My name is Wei-Hsiang Shao (ウェイシャン シャオ). I completed my PhD in Physics in the String Theory Group at National Taiwan University in June 2025, and this postdoctoral position marks my first long-term research experience at an academic institute abroad. My research interests lie in quantum gravity, with a particular focus on the nonperturbative aspects of string theory and their implications for our understanding of the universe. Much of our current framework relies on perturbative quantum gravity, which combines Einstein’s General Relativity with local quantum field theory into a low-energy effective theory valid on large scales compared to the Planck scale. While remarkably successful, this framework leaves many open questions—such as Hawking’s black hole information paradox, the origin of our universe, and the recent tensions in cosmological observations. During my PhD, I worked with my supervisors to explore a new perspective on the quantum aspects of black holes by incorporating properties rooted in string theory. Our findings suggest that nonperturbative features of string theory may lead to qualitatively different outcomes for black hole evaporation than those predicted by standard low-energy effective theories. This line of study has inspired me to extend our top-down approach to other contexts, such as the early universe, in the hope of uncovering nonperturbative quantum gravity effects that could reshape the current cosmological model. I am very excited to exchange ideas with colleagues here, to broaden my perspective by learning from experts across different areas, and to contribute to this vibrant research environment through my endeavors.
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2025-07-09
Person of the Week
Self-introduction: Zhe Wang
I received my doctoral degree from Tsinghua University in 2023. After that, I spent two years at Kyoto University as a postdoctoral researcher. In 2025, I joined iTHEMS. My main research interest lies in exploring various aspects of mathematical physics using tools from integrable systems. In particular, I apply techniques from (infinite-dimensional) Hamiltonian integrable systems to study Gromov-Witten type theories, mirror symmetry, and related topics. A typical problem in this area involves constructing integrable systems that govern the partition functions of specific theories—such as cohomological field theory, equivariant quantum cohomology, quantum K-theory, or symplectic field theory—and analyzing their structure through the integrable systems. More recently, I've become increasingly interested in the connections between integrable hierarchies and quantum algebras, such as vertex algebras and W-algebras. While the classical relationships between these fields have been well studied, understanding their quantum counterparts remains a rich and challenging direction. I believe that further progress in this area will deepen our overall understanding of integrable systems, which play a central role in mathematical physics. If you’re interested in my work or would like to discuss related topics, I’d be very happy to hear from you. Please feel free to reach out!
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2025-06-12
Person of the Week
Self-introduction: Keiya Hirashima
Hi! My name is Keiya Hirashima, and I am a Special Postdoctoral Researcher at iTHEMS, working on galaxy formation and evolution using AI and large-scale simulations. My research focuses on modeling the effects of individual stars and stellar feedback in high-resolution galaxy simulations. To reduce computational costs, I have developed AI-based surrogate models that efficiently replace expensive physical simulations. I’m particularly interested in connecting different physical scales to study the hierarchical evolution of galaxies and the universe through numerical methods, deep learning, and high-performance computing. I also explore how fractal structures and foundation models can help extract general representations from complex physical systems. [My academic history] I began my position as a Special Postdoctoral Researcher at iTHEMS in April 2025. Prior to that, I studied computer science and mathematical science at Kyoto University in March 2020, and received my Ph.D. in Astronomy (sub: Information Science) from the University of Tokyo in March 2025. I have also worked on research on deep foundation models for (astro)physics at PolymathicAI and Flatiron Institute (USA).
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2025-06-12
Person of the Week
Self-introduction: Robert Baird
Hi, I'm Robert Baird. I'm from the UK and completed my undergraduate degree Zoology at the University of Sheffield, followed by a Masters in Biology at LMU Munich in Germany. I then completed my PhD in Evolutionary Biology at the University of Edinburgh. I'm currently a postdoctoral scientist at the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Science at MIT, where I combine cytology with evolution to understand species with unusual genetics and what this can tell us about more fundamental biological questions. I am a visiting researcher at iTHEMS, working with Thomas Hitchcock to try to develop ideas and predictions for how some of the unusual genetic systems that I study evolved.
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2025-06-04
Person of the Week
Self-introduction: Antoine Diez
Hello! I am interested in the mathematical modeling of large scale self-organized phe- nomena in life science, from the dynamics of biological cells forming tissues to the behaviour of interacting agents within societies. These systems, often referred to as complex systems, are typically described as large systems of active particles. Their understanding mostly relies on the derivation and analysis of suitable scaling limits that reveal more informative statistical descriptors. My background is in mathematical kinetic theory, a branch of statistical physics originally developed to bridge the gap between molecular-level gas dynamics and macroscopic thermodynamic and fluid equations. My work combines analytical approaches (in particular partial differential equations, stochastic analysis and a bit of geometry) but also in silico computer simulations that are nowdays essential. I am interested in theoretical mathematical problems but I also work in close collaboration with biologists on interdisciplinary applied projects, especially in developmental biology.
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2025-06-04
Person of the Week
Self-introduction: Unashish Mondal
Hey everyone, I’m Unashish Mondal. I joined iTHEMS and the Prediction Science Research Team as a postdoctoral researcher, with a strong interest in extreme weather events and their underlying dynamics. My research primarily focuses on understanding and predicting lightning, thunderstorms, and associated hazards across the Indian subcontinent, using a combination of satellite observations, reanalysis data, and advanced modelling techniques. I’ve also worked extensively with the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model to simulate cloudbursts, hailstorms, and heatwaves over India, integrating high-resolution simulations with observational analysis. I’m passionate about advancing the prediction of extreme events through data assimilation, machine learning, and high-resolution modelling—especially in data-sparse and climate-vulnerable regions. Outside of research, I enjoy reading books, traveling, and discussing philosophy and culture.
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2025-05-30
Person of the Week
Self-introduction: Vladimir Sosnilo
Hi all, my name is Vladimir (Vova) Sosnilo. I am a mathematician working in the fields of category theory, homotopy theory, and algebraic geometry. Category theory studies abstract relations between mathematical objects. In a precise mathematical sense, the Yoneda Lemma asserts that a given (mathematical) object is determined by its relations to other objects. While this means that any mathematical phenomenon can, in principle, be understood from the perspective of category theory, these relations can be incredibly intricate. The main idea unifying most of my work is the existence of simple categorical patterns that show up across many different areas of mathematics. This can be used to understand concrete objects in geometry and representation theory. I am originally from Saint Petersburg, Russia, but I also spent a significant amount of time in Germany before coming to iTHEMS. In particular, I did a three-year postdoc at the University of Regensburg. Beyond research, I am interested in music and arts. You can find more about me on my webpage or by talking to me!
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2025-05-26
Person of the Week
Self-introduction: Chi-Kang Chang
My research field is algebraic geometry, with a particular focus on birational geometry. Before joining RIKEN iTHEMS, I was a postdoctoral researcher at the National Center for Theoretical Sciences (NCTS) in Taiwan for about nine months. I completed all of my undergraduate, master's, and doctoral studies in the Department of Mathematics at National Taiwan University. During my doctoral studies, I also spent about 14 months as a visiting research associate at the Graduate School of Mathematical Sciences, the University of Tokyo.
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2025-05-14
Person of the Week
Self-introduction: Shuntaro Aoki
Hello, My name is Shuntaro Aoki, and I am a researcher at RIKEN iTHEMS. My primary areas of expertise are particle physics and cosmology, with a special focus on the early universe. I obtained my PhD from Waseda University in 2018 and worked as a lecturer at the same institution until March 2021. In April 2021, I joined Chung-Ang University in Korea, where I worked until August 2022. Subsequently, I continued my research at the Institute for Basic Science (Korea) until November 2024, before joining RIKEN iTHEMS in December 2024. My current research focuses on the cosmological collider program, which aims to uncover new physics beyond the Standard Model through the study of non-Gaussianity in primordial perturbations. These perturbations, believed to have been generated in the early universe at extremely high energies, provide valuable insights into heavy particles that are inaccessible in terrestrial experiments. Specifically, I have been working on the theoretical aspects of the cosmological collider, such as deriving analytic expressions for correlation functions and exploring particle physics models that predict large "signals" of interest. This research lies at the intersection of cosmology and particle physics, offering exciting implications for both fields. My long-term goal is to contribute to uncovering high-energy physics through cosmological observations. Ultimately, I aim to deepen our understanding of the universe's fundamental nature and its origins, while fostering new methodologies and collaborative efforts to advance the field. Beyond research, I enjoy football, fishing, and walking—activities that help me maintain a balanced and creative approach to problem-solving.
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2025-05-14
Person of the Week
Self-introduction: Iao-Fai Io
Hello everyone, my name is Iao-Fai Io, you can call me Jacky (my nickname). I am a Ph.D. student at National Taiwan University (NTU) and also an IPA student at RIKEN iTHEMS. Although I study in Taiwan, I am originally from Macau, so I know how to speak cantonese and mandarin My research direction is condensed matter physics, specifically focusing on non-Hermitian systems, particularly one-dimensional lattice models (e.g., the SSH model and its extended versions). Currently, I am studying conformal symmetry in 1+1D non-Hermitian systems, including both lattice models and field theory, to understand the differences between Hermitian and non-Hermitian cases and to explore new physics in non-Hermitian systems. I am also interested in other topics in condensed matter theory, including topological insulators and superconductors.
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2025-05-13
Person of the Week
Self-introduction: Daichi Takeda
My name is Daichi Takeda. I was born in Himeji (Hyōgo Prefecture), and have also lived in Fujisawa (Kanagawa) and Kyoto (Kyoto). I spent nine years at Kyoto University — from my undergraduate studies through my doctoral program — and received a Ph.D. in Science in March 2024. My field is theoretical high energy physics, with a focus on exploring the microscopic theory of gravity. Recently, I have been investigating the properties of black holes and methods for conducting virtual gravity experiments in a laboratory setting, with the help of the holographic principle.
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2025-05-13
Person of the Week
Self-introduction: Dorothy Ellis
Hello! I'm Dorothy Ellis. I received my PhD in biostatistics from the University of Florida in August 2023 and joined the Laboratory for Integrative Genomics at RIKEN IMS in October 2023 as a postdoctoral researcher. I was concurrently appointed to iTHEMS in May 2025. My primary research interest is in developing machine learning and data analysis methods (especially unsupervised analysis methods) for multi-omics data.
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2025-04-03
Person of the Week
Self-introduction: Erik Loetstedt
I have a PhD in theoretical physics from Heidelberg University and have worked at the Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics, Missouri University of Science and Technology and The University of Tokyo before coming to RIKEN. I am interested in time-dependent problems in quantum mechanics, in particular strong field-molecule interaction. I am also interested in the simulation of quantum dynamics of molecules by quantum computers.
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2024-12-04
Person of the Week
Self-introduction: Qianteng Zhu
I am a Ph.D. student from Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China and I joined iTHEMS in Dec 2024 as an IPA student. I am interested in Lattice QCD and Machine Learning. I am studying methods to figure out hadron interactions from Lattice QCD. I am also excited to apply machine learning to physics problems. Please feel free to discuss with me.
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2024-11-18
Person of the Week
Self-introduction: Daeho Park
I interested in ameliorating methodologies employed hadron physics, especially quark model and lattice QCD, to test various ideas accurately and reliably. Then, equipped with correct characteristics of hadrons, I will trace back to QCD to investigate origin of diverse existence of hadrons. I like to combine different things in different ways, so if you have some geek-looking idea, please let me know!
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2024-10-11
Person of the Week
Self-introduction: Yuuka Kanakubo
Hi, I’m Yuuka. I did my PhD at Sophia University in Japan, and moved to Finland and spent 2 years there as a postdoc at the University of Jyväskylä. Now, I have returned to Japan as a RIKEN-Berkeley fellow at iTHEMS. Since my PhD, I have been working on the development of Monte-Carlo event generators for relativistic nuclear collisions. I am generally interested in a collision of large and heavy nuclei, such as lead ions or gold ions, with a large mass number. The typical collision energy reaches up to a few TeV per nucleon pair at their centre of mass. With these experimental setups, we can generate an extremely hot soup of quarks and gluons, known as “quark-gluon plasma”. Relativistic nuclear collisions are dynamical processes with several different stages. I describe the collision process in full 3D and as dynamically as possible by sequentially applying different theoretical descriptions to each stage. For instance, I describe the production of quarks and gluons in the initial impact of colliding nuclei using perturbative QCD, the evolution of quark-gluon plasma with relativistic relativistic hydrodynamics combined with lattice QCD, and the interaction of hadrons in the final state using hadronic transport. I believe iTHEMS is an excellent research environment in this aspect as the study requires diverse knowledge in, for example, nuclear structure, perturbative and non-perturbative QCD, thermodynamics, methodology in Monte-Carlo simulations of many-body systems etc. I am excited to discuss with people from various fields and hope to find new solutions or new ideas!
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2024-10-07
Person of the Week
Self-introduction: Gabriele Di Ubaldo
I am broadly interested in understanding quantum gravity as an emergent phenomenon. This is the case in the AdS/CFT correspondence where a d+1-dimensional theory of quantum gravity (usually a string theory) emerges from the collective dynamics of a d-dimensional Conformal Field Theory (CFT) with many degrees of freedom. I believe this is a beautiful example of Anderson's principle "More is different", where many-body quantum systems (the CFT) can exhibit striking and unexpected collective behaviour (Gravity). I am particularly interested in the role of quantum chaos and thermalization in the correspondence between CFT and black hole physics and how to explain and derive gravitational phenomena, such as wormholes, using CFT and the tools of the conformal bootstrap. More broadly, I am interested in many-body quantum systems, disordered systems, classical and quantum chaos, and diverse topics in math, such as random matrix theory, analytic number theory (modular forms), topological recursion, and three-manifold geometry. If you are working on any of these topics or are simply interested, I'll be happy to talk physics! Previously, I obtained my PhD at the Institut de Physique Theorique in Paris, CEA Saclay, working with Eric Perlmutter, and my master's degree at Ecole Normale Superieure in Paris. Looking forward to my time at RIKEN and UC Berkeley!
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2024-10-03
Person of the Week
Self-introduction: Xiaoyang Wang
My main research interests focus on the cross of quantum computation and many-body systems, in particular, the near-term quantum algorithm for lattice field theory, spin models, and combinatorial optimization problems. We intend to demonstrate the advantage of quantum computers in real-world applications on currently available quantum devices.
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2024-04-09
Person of the Week
Self-introduction: Sonia Mahmoudi
Bridging the worlds of mathematics and materials science, I am interested in exploring the fascinating interactions between the topology of entangled structures and their mechanical properties. With an interdisciplinary and international background spanning mathematics, design, and engineering, I have explored various industries before transitioning to an academic career. My doctoral journey at Tohoku University focused on low-dimensional topology in woven structures, laying the foundation for my current work with SUURI-COOL Sendai. My research primarily focuses on the topological classification of periodic entangled structures from the viewpoint of knot theory and is oriented toward potential applications in academia and industry. These structures, found in a wide range of materials from textiles to molecular assemblies, exhibit remarkable properties such as elasticity, auxetic behavior, and self-folding capabilities, which are predominantly dictated by their entanglement complexity rather than the constituent materials themselves. I believe that mathematics is the key to unveiling these structure-function relations. As part of the iTHEMS community, I hope to collaborate, innovate, and contribute to the creation of new mathematical theories that could eventually support the design of sustainable and innovative materials and systems. I look forward to discussing new scientific discoveries in entangled structures with many of you.
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2024-03-11
Person of the Week
Self-introduction: Lingxiao Wang
Hello everyone! My name is Lingxiao Wang (王 凌霄). My research ambitiously bridges the fields of machine learning and physics, with a particular focus on using deep learning techniques, such as deep neural networks (DNNs) and generative AI, to explore QCD matter with physics models and lattice calculations. Beyond traditional boundaries, my work extends to pioneering applications of AI for Science, such as the automating scientific discovery, medical AI, and the analysis of collective behavior. My academic journey in physics commenced with a Ph.D. at Tsinghua University, China(2015-2020), where I investigated quark matter under extreme conditions. Concurrently, I was a visiting Ph.D. student at the University of Tokyo, Japan(2018-2019), focusing on chiral matter. During my postdoctoral position at the Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies(FIAS), Germany (2020-2023), I honed my expertise in applying machine learning to physical sciences, and simultaneously held a joint position as a Research Assistant at Insitute of Physics in Goethe University, where I applied machine learning to THz physics. Currently, I am also a Visiting Scholar at the Institute of Modern Physics, Fudan University, China, working on machine learning applications in particle and nuclear physics. For many years, I have organized a series of "Machine Learning Physics" seminars and learning clubs, providing an inclusive space for scientists interested in AI. I am especially enthusiastic about knowledge sharing and discussions that pave the way for interdisciplinary topics. My door (Main Building 249) is always open for anyone who wants to drink a cup of coffee/tea with me!
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2024-01-17
Person of the Week
Self-introduction: Camilia Demidem
My field of research is high-energy astrophysics. The fundamental open questions that motivate my work are that of the origins of high-energy cosmic rays and the nature of the physical processes dissipating energy in extreme astrophysical environments such as active galactic nuclei, gamma ray bursts or pulsar wind nebulae. More specifically, I investigate the multi-scale physics of shocks, turbulence and particle acceleration possibly at play in these environments using theoretical modelling and different numerical frameworks, including particle-in-cell and magnetohydrodynamic simulations. I am excited to join a group of scientists from such diverse backgrounds and I am particularly looking forward to working alongside researchers in the fields of health and biology for the first time! I am also eager to improve my Japanese, よかったら、日本語で声を掛けてください！
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2023-12-11
Person of the Week
Self-introduction: Pratik Nandy
I am Pratik Nandy, a theoretical physicist from India. After graduating from the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, in 2022, I moved to the Yukawa Institute for Theoretical Physics (YITP), Kyoto University, as a postdoctoral researcher in the Extreme Universe Collaboration (ExU). I joined iTHEMS in November 2023. My research interests include understanding quantum chaos in holography and condensed matter physics by using various quantum information theoretic quantities, such as entanglement and complexity. Recently, I have been working on the formulation of quantum chaos in dissipative systems and quantum field theories, especially systems with holographic duals, such as Sachdev-Ye-Kitaev (SYK) models and their double-scaled variations. I believe these systems can teach us important lessons about the quantum nature of gravity in de Sitter (dS) and Anti-de Sitter (AdS) space. I am based at the SUURI-COOL, Kyoto University campus, where I am also affiliated with the YITP. I regularly visit the Wako campus and look forward to discussions with various experts from interdisciplinary environments. I will be happy to assist you if you plan to visit SUURI-COOL, Kyoto.
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2023-11-16
Person of the Week
Self-introduction: Dongwook Ghim
I am a theoretical physicist working on high-energy physics, HEP-TH. More precisely, I am interested in the spectral problems of strongly coupled gauge theory. The infamous quark confinement of Quantum Chromodynamics and the mass gap generation of Yang-Mills theory are the most well-known spectral problems involving strongly coupled gauge theory. I mainly use two orthogonal toolkits to tackle such problems; supersymmetry and quantum simulation. I have worked on the computation of the twisted partition function of supersymmetric gauge theories, which appear in the string theory context, showing a strong relation with the geometry of Calabi-Yau manifolds. Simultaneously, I am eager to develop a quantum algorithm that can capture the spectra of gauge theories, without the aid of supersymmetry. The latter targets low-dimensional lattice gauge theory in practice. But I dream of capturing the physics of three- or four-dimensional gauge theory on the quantum processor near future. I look forward to a fruitful collaboration with people in iTHEMS, RIKEN.
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2023-10-06
Person of the Week
Self-introduction: Yuto Yamamoto
I specialize in tropical geometry, a field of mathematics that naturally emerges when considering the limits of spaces with respect to some parameters. My primary research interest lies in calculating the limits of invariants of the spaces using tropical geometry. Despite being a relatively new field, tropical geometry has already demonstrated its applicability to other various sciences. During my time at iTHEMS, I look forward to exploring such applicational aspects of tropical geometry as well.
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2023-10-06
Person of the Week
Self-introduction: Misako Tatsuuma
I'm Misako Tatsuuma, and I joined iTHEMS as a Research Scientist in October 2023. My research focuses on planetary formation theory. Specifically, I'm working on the formation process of planetesimals, which are kilometer-sized bodies like comets and asteroids, from micron-sized cosmic dust grains. This process is still not fully understood and has been extensively studied through observations, explorations, experiments, and simulations. My approach involves investigating the material strengths of dust aggregates using dust grain N-body simulations and comparing the results with explorational findings of comets and asteroids in our solar system. I got my Ph.D. in March 2022 at the University of Tokyo and subsequently began the JSPS fellow (PD) at Tokyo Institute of Technology. As for personal, I'm a mother of two and facing the ongoing challenge of balancing childcare and research.
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2023-10-05
Person of the Week
Self-introduction: Shinichiro Fujii
My name is Shinichiro Fujii. I was originally a nuclear theorist. After finishing my PhD at Kyushu University in 2000, I joined RIKEN as a special postdoctral researcher. After that, I had several positions including associate professor at the University of Tokyo. After a period of unemployment at the age of 40 due to the term limit, I was hired by JST-CRDS as a fellow in 2013. I conducted research and survey activities to formulate Japan's science and technology policy for 5 years. After that, I was involved in the management of large national projects related to quantum computers and quantum communications, such as JST-ERATO, Q-LEAP and Moonshot Goal 6, at the University of Tokyo and Yokohama National University for 5 years. 23 years after beginning my career as a researcher at RIKEN, I am back to RIKEN as a coordinator in 2023. I would like to contribute to creating a better environment for researchers and enhancing the value of RIKEN.
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2023-08-02
Person of the Week
Self-introduction: Yuta Sekino (2023)
I am Yuta Sekino. After finishing my Ph. D at Tokyo Institute of Technology in 2019, I worked in RIKEN as a JSPS Postdoctoral Fellow (2019-21) and Postdoctoral Researcher in ABBL (2021-23). During 2021-2023, I also belonged to iTHEMS as a concurrent member. In July 2023, I officially joined iTHEMS as a Postdoctoral Researcher associated with RIKEN Quantum. I am a theoretical condensed-matter physicist mainly working on ultracold atomic systems. My main research interest is superfluidity, superconductivity, and spin transport. Because these phenomena have been widely discussed not only in condensed-matter physics but also in nuclear physics and astrophysics, I would like to collaborate with iTHEMS researchers working in these fields. As a member of RIKEN Quantum, I also would like to apply quantum computational methods to nonequilibrium phenomena such as post-quench dynamics in quantum spin systems. Because quantum computing would have the potential to tackle unsolved problems in every field of science, I would be happy to have interdisciplinary discussions in RIKEN Quantum. At iTHEMS, I hope to broaden my research horizon through discussions with researchers in various fields.
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2023-08-02
Person of the Week
Self-introduction: Steffen Backes
Hello! My name is Steffen Backes, and I just joined RIKEN Quantum as a Senior Scientific Researcher. My research interest is focused on the physics and phenomena that can be found in strongly correlated electron systems, such as transition metal oxides, cuprate and iron-based superconductors, nickelate materials, or other low-dimensional lattice systems. In these systems the Coulomb repulsion between electrons gives rise to unexpected emergent phenomena such as magnetism, charge order, superconductivity, the metal-to-insulator transition, changes in their optical properties, and many more. My particular interest lies in going beyond an effective single-particle description of the electronic system, using perturbative and non-perturbative methods. For this, I am employing the GW approximation, Dynamical mean-field theory and its extensions such as cluster methods, or combinations in the form of GW+DMFT. In iTHEMS I will investigating how current Quantum processors, or "Noisy Intermediate Scale Quantum" (NISQ) devices can be used to solve the problems we encounter when studying such correlated electron systems with state-of-the-art numerical methods. Since these devices are inherently noisy, the development of fault-tolerant algorithms is one of my major goals.
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2023-08-02
Person of the Week
Self-introduction: Yaokun Lei
My name is YaoKun Lei, and I joined iTHEMS in August 2023. I am originally from a city in the south of China. After finishing my undergraduate studies, I pursued a Ph.D. at Peking University, where I focused on studying the significant role of dynamic solvent effects in chemical reactions in condensed phases using enhanced sampling methods. Upon completing my Ph.D., I became a visiting scholar at the ShenZhen Bay Laboratory. During this period, I developed efficient strategies for rare event sampling and reaction coordinate analysis without prior knowledge of the reaction mechanism, using Reinforcement Learning and likelihood maximization techniques. In July 2021, I joined Theoretic Molecular Science Laboratory at RIKEN. Over the past two years, my research has been centered around developing accurate, efficient, and transferable machine learning force fields for systems embedded in external potentials, with the aim of accelerating QM/MM simulations using multi-scale equivariant graph convolution networks. Looking ahead, I am enthusiastic about leveraging quantum computing to accelerate large-scale molecular dynamics simulations. Specifically, I plan to utilize high-precision quantum computational results to expedite the parameterization of machine learning force fields. Additionally, I aim to enhance sampling in high-dimensional spaces through quantum computing. During my time at iTHEMS, I hope to have the opportunity to collaborate with researchers from different disciplines and embark on exciting new explorations.
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2023-07-03
Person of the Week
Self-introduction: Jan Schuette-Engel
Hello, I’m Jan and I work on theoretical high energy particle physics, astroparticle physics and cosmology. I’m based at UC Berkeley. My work focuses on probing high energy particle physics with gravitational waves (GWs). Additionally, I develop novel ideas for earth based experiments to discover new physics.
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2023-06-06
Person of the Week
Self-introduction: Derek Beattie Inman
Hello! My name is Derek Inman, and I am a scientist at iTHEMS whose research is focused on cosmology. Our Universe contains a substantial amount of dark matter the behavior of which we broadly know, but the composition of which we don’t. I try to understand how different ideas for what dark matter is (particles? black holes? something else?) change how the Universe looks and evolves at various times and length scales. I am particularly interested in cosmological structure formation, which rapidly becomes a nonlinear problem and so I tend to use numerical simulations run on supercomputers to understand the relevant physics.
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2023-05-11
Person of the Week
Self-introduction: Kohei Hayashi
Hi, my name is Kohei Hayashi. I am a visiting researcher as the postdoctral fellowship of Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS). So far, I have been working on explaining macroscopic behavior of some physical quantities from microscopic models. Especially, my interest lies in universality that arises in fluctuations of Markov processes. An important example of such universality class is the Kardar-Parisi-Zhang universality class and it has been observed in various probabilistic models. I am trying to understand mechanisms or backgrounds of such universality in mathematically rigorous ways.
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2023-04-28
Person of the Week
Self-introduction: Rongyang Sun
My name is Rongyang Sun. I joined RIKEN in October 2021 as a Postdoctoral Researcher in R-CCS and RQC. Now, I am very glad to hold this concurrent position in iTHEMS. As a full-stack researcher in computational quantum many-body physics, my ultimate goal is to understand the fantabulous nature of quantum many-body systems by taking advantage of modern supercomputing systems and quantum computers. Towards this goal, I am developing advanced tensor network algorithms, maintaining high-performance tensor computing software, and applying these tools to the study of strongly correlated systems like interacting electrons and frustrated spins. Meanwhile, I am also exploring the possibility of utilizing near-term quantum computers to arrive at the same destination.
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2023-04-28
Person of the Week
Self-introduction: Tomonori Shirakawa
My name is Tomonori Shirakawa. I joined iTHEMS as a Senior Research Scientist in April 2023. I am interested in quantum many-body phenomena in condensed matter physics. To better understand quantum many-body phenomena, I have been working with various numerical methods. In particular, I have recently been exploring more efficient ways to solve quantum many-body problems using quantum-classical hybrid algorithms, quantum algorithms, and tensor network methods.
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2023-04-10
Person of the WeekSelf-introduction: Seishiro Ono
My name is Seishiro Ono. I received my Ph.D. from the University of Tokyo in March 2023, and then I joined RIKEN iTHEMS in April 2023. My research interests lie in quantum condensed matter physics. I have been fascinated by the diversity of this field, and I am eager to understand the various phenomena from a unified point of view. I am currently investigating a unified understanding of superconductivity based on symmetry and topology. In addition, I have recently become interested in experimental signatures of topological nature, applications of machine learning to materials science, and quantum simulation of strongly correlated systems.
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2023-04-07
Person of the Week
Self-introduction: Zixia Wei
My name is Zixia Wei, and I got my Ph.D. from Yukawa Institute, Kyoto University in March 2023. I work on many different aspects of the AdS/CFT correspondence. The AdS/CFT correspondence relates a gravitational theory to a non-gravitational theory in a lower-dimensional system. Recently, I am interested in studying statistical physics with the help of the AdS/CFT correspondence. Thermal states in non-gravitational systems, which are often the targets of statistical physics, are related to black holes via the AdS/CFT correspondence. Obvious observations in black holes are sometimes nontrivial when translated back to statistical systems. I am working on making nontrivial conjectures in general statistical systems by considering black holes and then trying to prove them back in statistical systems.
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2023-04-06
Person of the Week
Self-introduction: Che-Yu Chen
Hi, my name is Che-Yu Chen, a Taiwanese researcher, joining RIKEN iTHEMS as an SPDR in April 2023. I got my Ph.D. in Physics from National Taiwan University in 2019. After my graduation, I stayed as a postdoc at LeCosPA-NTU (2019-2020) and then became an AS postdoc at the Institute of Physics, Academia Sinica (2020-2023), before coming to RIKEN. My interest is mainly in gravitational physics, including modified gravity and the phenomenological aspects of quantum gravity. In particular, I'm currently working on using state-of-the-art black hole observations to test general relativity (GR), or even to probe putative non-GR physics. The direct detection of gravitational waves emitted from binary black hole mergers, and the images of supermassive black holes, have ushered in a completely new era in which directly probing spacetimes near black holes becomes possible. There are several interesting non-GR physics, some of which could even be motivated by quantum gravitational effects. These non-GR physics could induce non-trivial or even unique imprints on gravitational waveforms and black hole images, and hence can possibly be tested in the future. A better understanding of this topic can tell us how well GR describes such extreme spacetime regimes, and if it were to be modified, which direction is more observationally preferred. I'm looking forward to the fruitful discussions with the iTHEMS members in the future.
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2023-04-05
Person of the Week
Self-introduction: Tomoya Nagai
My name is Tomoya Nagai. I joined as a coordinator in April 2023. I started working after getting the Ph.D. in astrophysics and have worked in science communication, R&D strategy development, research funding and R&D management. Until March 2023, I worked at KEK and Kobe University, where I was manager of research projects using the supercomputers “Fugaku". I will do my best to help you in your research.
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2023-04-05
Person of the Week
Self-introduction: Tingyu Zhang
My name is Tingyu Zhang, and I joined iTHEMS as a junior research associate in April 2023. Now I am involved in a PhD program in physics at the University of Tokyo. I mainly focus on the study of quantum many-body systems and non-equilibrium physics. Specifically I’m now studying the transport phenomena in cold atomic systems, through Green’s function methods and the perturbation theory. I’m looking forward to discussing physics with other researchers in the future.
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2023-02-07
Person of the Week
Self-introduction: Christian Quirouette
Hi, my name is Christian Quirouette. I am a postdoctoral fellow at Toronto Metropolitan University in Canada. My field of research is virophyiscs, i.e. applying methods of physics to problems in virology. My research primarily focuses on stochastic mathematical modelling of viral infections. I’m excited to be working here at iTHEMS and have the chance to discuss and possibly collaborate with other researchers in other fields.
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2023-02-03
Person of the Week
Self-introduction: Liang Zhang
I’m a Ph.D. student form Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics (SINAP), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). And I came to iTHEMS on January 26th, 2023. When I was a undergraduate learning nuclear physics, I’m curious about how we can calculate the interactions between nucleons. I think it is the key for us to understand nucleus better. Beside this, I also learnt that there are hypernucleuses, where several nucleons are replaced by other baryons. So, if the interactions can be calculated from quark model and QCD theory, it allows us to study not only the normal nucleuses but also hypernucleuses which may exist at the beginning of the universe. HAL QCD is a great way to study the interactions between baryons by using lattice QCD calculation. I’m so glad to have this chance to study HAL QCD in iTHEMS. I hope I can receive knowledge and friendship here.
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