For his pioneering research in quantum field theory, Perimeter Faculty member Kevin Costello has earned a fellowship in the Royal Society of London, the world’s oldest scientific institution. 

Costello joined Perimeter in 2013 as the Krembil William Rowan Hamilton Chair in Theoretical Physics, a position created thanks to support from the Krembil Foundation. 

Prior to joining Perimeter, Costello was a faculty member at Chicago’s Northwestern University, where he began developing ways to apply principles and techniques of mathematics to longstanding physics problems. 

“My work concerns quantum field theory, which is one of the most widely-used paradigms we have for modelling the universe,” Costello says. “The goal of my work is to understand quantum field theory in mathematical terms, and to bring techniques from modern mathematics to bear on this field.”

Originally from Cork, Ireland, Costello discovered his joy for mathematics as a child by solving puzzles in his father’s collection of Scientific American magazines. 

He describes Perimeter as the “ideal research environment” to explore the intersections of mathematics and physics, as he is “able to work with some of the leading theorists in the world, and with the very bright students that come here.”

Perimeter Faculty Chair Luis Lehner described Costello’s recognition from the Royal Society as “testament to his numerous significant contributions to research at the interface of mathematics and physics.”

Being named a fellow to the Royal Society, Costello says, feels like further indication that his research and career are on the right track. “It’s a great honour to join such a venerable scientific society,” he says.