VILLUM Young Investigator from Harvard to SDU
Harvard University postdoc, Du Pei, moves this summer to SDU to join the Centre for Quantum Mathematics already awarded one of the prestigious Young Investigator grants from VILLUM FONDEN.
Du Pei’s project called ‘New Invariants in Low-Dimensional Topology via Quantum Field Theory’ explores the connection between geometry and physics. His project aims to deepen the connection between geometry and physics by investigating shapes in three and four dimensions using quantum field theory and string theory. This will lead to, on the geometry side, novel tools to tackle important open problems in low-dimensional topology and, on the physics side, new insights toward quantum phases of matter, global properties of string theory, dynamics of quantum gravity and quantum computation.
With the Young Investigator initiative VILLUM FONDEN aims to support ambitious early career researchers with the potential to significantly contribute to research in natural sciences at a Danish research institution.
Du Pei already has a good understanding of the Danish research scene as he held a postdoctoral position at Aarhus University from 2016-2019. He obtained his PhD in theoretical Physics from California Institute of Technology (Caltech) under the supervision of Sergei Gukov and has already a longstanding collaboration with the QM Centre Director Jørgen Ellegaard Andersen.