A Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment (CHIME) paper co-authored by Perimeter Research Scientist Seth Siegel, Research Associate Faculty Ue-Li Pen, and former Perimeter Postdoctoral Researchers Meiling Deng and Simon Foreman, was the first-place winner of the 2024 Buchalter Cosmology Prize, which recognizes groundbreaking work in cosmology with the potential to advance our understanding of the universe.
The Event Horizon Telescope team, which includes six Perimeter Institute scientists, was recognized with a 2025 Frontiers of Science Award from the International Congress for Basic Science for their paper on new imaging of the M87 central supermassive black hole.
Kevin Costello, Perimeter Research Faculty member and Krembil William Rowan Hamilton Chair in Theoretical Physics, was recognized with a 2025 Frontiers of Science Award from the International Congress for Basic Science for his work on gauge theory and integrability.
Encieh Erfani, joint Postdoctoral Research fellow between Perimeter Institute and the Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics (CITA), was awarded the 2025 American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Award for Scientific Freedom and Responsibility for “courage in advocating for academic freedom for students and scholars in Iran despite the threat of severe consequences from the Iranian government.”
Davide Gaiotto, Perimeter Research Faculty member and Krembil Galileo Galilei Chair in Theoretical Physics, was recognized with a 2025 Frontiers of Science Award from the International Congress for Basic Science for his work on higher form symmetries in quantum field theory.
Theo Johnson-Freyd, Perimeter Research Associate Faculty member, was awarded the Faculty of Science Killam Prize at Dalhousie University, where he is cross-appointed. The prize is awarded annually to enhance the careers of the faculty’s most promising early-career scientists.
Sabrina Pasterski, Perimeter Research Faculty member, was named the overall winner of the 22nd Vexillum Sciacca International Prize in Vatican City. Sabrina is the first physicist to be so honoured; the prior 21 award winners include His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI.
Paul Smith, Perimeter Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer, was awarded the 2025 Chemical Institute of Canada Montréal Medal, a mark of distinction and honour awarded to a resident of Canada who has shown significant leadership in or has made an outstanding contribution to the profession of chemistry or chemical engineering in Canada.
Chong Wang, Perimeter Research Faculty member, was recognized with a 2025 Frontiers of Science Award from the International Congress for Basic Science for his work on dualities in quantum field theory and condensed matter physics.
Luna Zagorac, Perimeter Postdoctoral Researcher, was awarded the European Commission’s Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowships Seal of Excellence for achieving a high score on her project proposal.
Perimeter Institute was recognized with a 2024 Community Leader Award by ORION for using their network and cloud services to bring the Institute to the forefront of innovation and showing exceptional leadership in the digital landscape.
In 2024/25, Perimeter scientists were awarded $1.4 million in new research grants from agencies including the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR), the Digital Research Alliance of Canada, Fields Institute for Research in Mathematical Sciences, G-Research, the National Research Council Canada, and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.
**Erratum: In 2023/24, Anton Burkov was elected a Fellow of the American Physical Society, and in error Alexander Braverman was listed in his place in the 2023/24 Annual Report. [link]
The CHIME radio telescope in British Columbia, Canada.
CHIME Collaboration wins Buchalter Cosmology Prize
Perimeter Institute Research Scientist Seth Siegel co-authored a paper that received first place in the 2024 Buchalter Cosmology Prize. The prize, which recognizes groundbreaking work in cosmology with the potential to advance our understanding of the universe, was awarded to the Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment (CHIME), a Canadian-led international collaboration that operates a novel radio telescope in British Columbia. The winning paper describes CHIME’s recent detection of faint radio emission from neutral hydrogen gas surrounding distant galaxies and quasars. These radio waves travelled for 8 billion years before reaching Earth, offering a new glimpse into the large-scale structure of the universe during a previously understudied era. Perimeter Research Associate Faculty Ue-Li Pen, and former Perimeter Postdoctoral Researchers Meiling Deng and Simon Foreman, were also co-authors on the paper.
Paul Smith
Perimeter’s COO Paul Smith wins top award from the Chemical Institute of Canada
The world’s foremost centre for theoretical physics has the world’s best scientific leaders at the helm. In November 2024, Perimeter Institute’s Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer (COO) Paul Smith was recognized with the top award in his field.
The prestigious 2025 Montréal Medal/Médaille de Montréal from the Chemical Institute of Canada (CIC) is presented as a mark of distinction and honour to a resident of Canada who has demonstrated significant leadership in or who has made an outstanding contribution to the profession of chemistry or chemical engineering in Canada. Smith joined Perimeter in 2021, bringing leadership experience in scientific research and management. He continues to be a strong advocate at Perimeter for the value of fundamental science research in Canada.
Encieh Erfani
Perimeter researcher sheds light on academics in exile
Cosmologist Encieh Erfani was an assistant professor at the prestigious Institute for Advanced Studies in Basic Sciences in Zanjan, Iran. In 2022, Iranian woman Mahsa Amini allegedly died at the hands of police, and Erfani resigned from her position in protest. She was exiled for her criticism of Iran’s totalitarian government. In her time away from her home, Erfani has developed an interest and expertise in scientific diplomacy and supporting other academics in exile. In February 2025, shortly after arriving in Canada for a one-year contract with Perimeter Institute, Erfani was awarded the AAAS Award for Scientific Freedom and Responsibility. The award recognized Erfani’s advocacy for at-risk students and scholars, including a collaboration with the “Science in Exile” initiative to support at-risk displaced scholars, and co-founding the International Community of Iranian Academics (ICOIA).