Welcome to my home page. I am a professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of British Columbia, where I have worked since 2002. Before that, I was a postdoc at Stanford University from 2000 until 2002. I studied as a graduate student at Princeton University from 1995 until 2000 when I received my PhD. My supervisor was Washington Taylor. Before that, I did a combined math/physics undergraduate degree at UBC.

I am currently a Simons Investigator and a member of the Simons Foundation It From Qubit Collaboration.

RESEARCH

In my research, I work towards a better theoretical understanding of elementary particle physics, classical and quantum gravity, and cosmology. Most of my research has focused on string theory, quantum field theory, and the remarkable equivalence between the two suggested by gauge theory/ gravity duality (a.k.a. the AdS/CFT correspondence). Currently, I am exploring connections between quantum information theory and quantum gravity. You can find my publications here.

TEACHING

Currently, I am teaching:

Physics 106, enriched first year physics

Physics 341, the Physics of Music

Course materials for other recent classes I have taught:

Physics 157, Introductory Physics for Engineers I (thermodynamics and waves).

Physics 402, Applications of Quantum Mechanics.

Science One Physics

Physics 200, "Relativity and Quanta"

Physics 526, "Quantum Electrodynamics" (an introduction to quantum field theory)





MISCELLANEOUS

The Physics of Music: a video series for general audiences (no physics/math background required)

Thermodynamics, Oscillations, and Waves: a video series at the first-year university level

Diary of an epidemic (a family project during the coronavirus lockdown)
 
Elementary school math enrichement activities (based on sessions for grades 4-7 students that I ran when my children were in elementary school)