Perimeter Director Robert Myers named 2024 CAP Fellow

Perimeter Director Robert Myers has been named a Fellow of the Canadian Association of Physicists “for ground-breaking research in quantum field theory and quantum gravity; and for service to the Canadian theoretical physics community, especially through contributions to the founding of the Perimeter Institute.”

Myers was one of Perimeter’s founding faculty members and now holds the BMO Financial Group Isaac Newton Chair in Theoretical Physics. He remains one of Perimeter’s greatest champions – and a champion of the Canadian physics community writ large. Last year, he was awarded the CAP Medal for Lifetime Achievement in Physics, honouring his contributions to Canadian science.

Myers’ foundational scientific research revolves around unifying quantum field theory with general relativity, and his contributions there have been significant. He is responsible for the eponymous Myers effect, now a fundamental piece of the string theorists’ toolkit to grapple with singularities, for example. He has similarly expanded our understanding of the physics of black holes in higher dimensions, and more recently applied ‘holographic’ methods to our understanding of the strong nuclear force via quantum chromodynamics.

“Helping to found Perimeter and seeing it grow from a radical new idea into a world-renowned centre has been an amazing experience,” said Myers. “I also have to thank all the students, postdocs, and colleagues that I have worked with throughout my career, for making the journey so enjoyable. I am delighted and honoured to be selected as a CAP Fellow.”

The CAP Fellowship program, inaugurated in 2022, celebrates Canadian physicists “who have made important contributions in physics research, in physics teaching, in the advancement of technology, or in service to the CAP.” In bestowing the fellowship on Myers, CAP recognized his role as a dedicated supervisor to his students, his record of scientific achievement, and his service to the community through foundational work building Perimeter Institute into an international hub for physics in Canada.

Perimeter Affiliates Robert Brandenberger (McGill University), Robert Mann (University of Waterloo), and Manu Paranjape (University of Montreal) were also among the 19 CAP Fellows recognized this year.