Luis Lehner | Perimeter Institute

Teaching Affiliations

If you are interested in pursuing a MSc degree, please apply to the Perimeter Scholars International (PSI) masters program. If you are interested in working with me as a PhD student, please submit an application directly to my department at the University of Waterloo and indicate that you would like to be supervised by me. Perimeter Institute is committed to diversity within its community and I welcome applications from underrepresented groups.

Research Interests

Understanding gravity in strong/highly dynamical regimes. In particular study of systems able to produce strong gravitational and electromagnetic signals. Tests of alternative theories of gravity and how to do so with upcoming gravitational wave detectors. Understanding gravitating systems in higher dimensional scenarios. Explorations of AdS/CFT in dynamical settings (quantum quenches and gravity/fluid correspondence) Understanding of bubble collisions in non-linear regimes. AdS instability and implications on thermalization. Turbulence, relativistic hydrodynamics and gravity With the era of gravitational wave astronomy already started I'm also placing considerable focus on the development of a framework with which to test General Relativity through possible subtle effects of possible deviations. As well, increasing efforts on multimessenger astronomy

Positions Held

Faculty Chair, Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics, 2018-2021
Theorist in Residence, Gravitational Wave International Committee, 2018-present
Advisory Board Member, KITP. UCSB, 2017-2020
Member of the Scientific Council, ICTP South American Institute for Fundamental Research (ICTP- SAIFR), 2015-2019
Deputy Faculty Chair, Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics, 2014-2017
Associate Professor of Physics, Department of Physics, University of Guelph, 2012-present
Adjunct Professor of Physics, Department of Physics, University of Wisconsin Milwaukee, 2011-present
Research Associate Faculty, Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics, 2009-2012
Associate Professor of Physics, Department of Physics., University of Guelph, 2009-2012
Adjunct Professor of Physics, Department of Physics & Astronomy, Louisiana State University, 2009-present
Fellow, Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, 2009-present
Associate Professor of Physics, Department of Physics & Astronomy, Louisiana State University, 2006-2009
Assistant Professor of Physics, Department of Physics & Astronomy, Louisiana State University, 2002-2006

Awards

Member of the National Academy of Sciences of Argentina, National Academy of Sciences of Argentina, 2023
Gravity at the Extreme Universe, CIFAR, 2023-2023
Discovery Grant, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), 2021
TD's 10 Most Influential Hispanic Canadians, TD, 2019
Buchalter Cosmology Prize, 3rd Place, Buchalter Cosmology Prize, Dr. Ari Buchalter, 2014
Fellow, International Society on General Relativity and Gravitation, 2013
Fellow, American Physical Society, 2011
Kavli Fellow, National Academy of Sciences, 2008
Rainmaker Award, Louisiana State University, 2008
Top 40 under 40, Baton Rouge Business Report, 2007
Phi-Kappa-Phi Non-tenured Faculty Award in Natural Sciences, Louisiana State University, 2004
Fellow, Institute of Physics, UK, 2004
Alfred P. Sloan Fellow, Sloan Foundation, 2003
Nicholas Metropolis Award, American Physical Society, 1999

Recent Publications

Bambi, C., Brustein, R., Cardoso, V., Chael, A., Danielsson, U., Giri, S., . . . Wong, G. N. (2025). Black hole mimickers: from theory to observation.
Abac, A. G., Abbott, R., Abouelfettouh, I., Acernese, F., Ackley, K., Adhicary, S., . . . Zubieta, E. (2025). Search for Continuous Gravitational Waves from Known Pulsars in the First Part of the Fourth LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA Observing Run. The Astrophysical Journal, 983(2), 99. doi:10.3847/1538-4357/adb3a0
Dideron, G., Mukherjee, S., & Lehner, L. (2025). Detecting unmodeled, source-dependent signals in gravitational waves with SCoRe. Physical Review D, 111(6), 064029. doi:10.1103/physrevd.111.064029
Coviello, C., Lehner, L., & Vellucci, V. (2025). Tidal response of regular black holes. arxiv:2503.04287v1
Lehner, L. (2025). The non-linear regime of gravity. General Relativity and Gravitation, 57(3), 54. doi:10.1007/s10714-025-03377-2
Raman, G., Ronchini, S., Delaunay, J., Tohuvavohu, A., Kennea, J. A., Parsotan, T., . . . Zweizig, J. (2025). Swift-BAT GUANO Follow-up of Gravitational-wave Triggers in the Third LIGO–Virgo–KAGRA Observing Run. The Astrophysical Journal, 980(2), 207. doi:10.3847/1538-4357/ad9749
Giri, S., Danielsson, U., Lehner, L., & Pretorius, F. (2025). Exploring black hole mimickers: Electromagnetic and gravitational signatures of AdS black shells. Physical Review D, 111(2), 024007. doi:10.1103/physrevd.111.024007
Payne, E., Isi, M., Chatziioannou, K., Lehner, L., Chen, Y., & Farr, W. M. (2024). Curvature Dependence of Gravitational-Wave Tests of General Relativity. Physical Review Letters, 133(25), 251401. doi:10.1103/physrevlett.133.251401
Abac, A. G., Abbott, R., Abouelfettouh, I., Acernese, F., Ackley, K., Adhicary, S., . . . Collaboration, A. T. K. C. T. L. S. C. T. V. (2024). A Search Using GEO600 for Gravitational Waves Coincident with Fast Radio Bursts from SGR 1935+2154. The Astrophysical Journal, 977(2), 255. doi:10.3847/1538-4357/ad8de0
Collaboration, T. L. I. G. O. S., Collaboration, T. V., Collaboration, T. K. A. G. R. A., Abac, A. G., Abbott, R., Abouelfettouh, I., . . . Zweizig, J. (2024). Search for gravitational waves emitted from SN 2023ixf. arxiv:2410.16565v2
Afshordi, N., Ashtekar, A., Barausse, E., Berti, E., Brito, R., Buoninfante, L., . . . Wald, R. M. (2024). Black Holes Inside and Out 2024: visions for the future of black hole physics. doi:10.48550/arxiv.2410.14414
Corman, M., Lehner, L., East, W. E., & Dideron, G. (2024). Nonlinear studies of modifications to general relativity: Comparing different approaches. Physical Review D, 110(8), 084048. doi:10.1103/physrevd.110.084048
Abac, A. G., Abbott, R., Abe, H., Acernese, F., Ackley, K., Adamcewicz, C., . . . Collaboration, A. T. K. C. T. L. S. C. T. V. (2024). Search for Eccentric Black Hole Coalescences during the Third Observing Run of LIGO and Virgo. The Astrophysical Journal, 973(2), 132. doi:10.3847/1538-4357/ad65ce
Abac, A. G., Abbott, R., Abe, H., Abouelfettouh, I., Acernese, F., Ackley, K., . . . Zweizig, J. (2024). Ultralight vector dark matter search using data from the KAGRA O3GK run. Physical Review D, 110(4), 042001. doi:10.1103/physrevd.110.042001
Redondo-Yuste, J., & Lehner, L. (n.d.). Non-linear black hole dynamics and Carrollian fluids. Journal of High Energy Physics, 2023(2), 240. doi:10.1007/jhep02(2023)240
Franchini, N., Bezares, M., Barausse, E., & Lehner, L. (2022). Fixing the dynamical evolution in scalar-Gauss-Bonnet gravity. Physical Review D, 106(6), 064061. doi:10.1103/physrevd.106.064061
Whittaker, T., East, W. E., Green, S. R., Lehner, L., & Yang, H. (2022). Using machine learning to parametrize postmerger signals from binary neutron stars. Physical Review D, 105(12), 124021. doi:10.1103/physrevd.105.124021
Georgiev, B., Pesce, D. W., Broderick, A. E., Wong, G. N., Dhruv, V., Wielgus, M., . . . Zhao, S. -S. (2022). A Universal Power-law Prescription for Variability from Synthetic Images of Black Hole Accretion Flows. The Astrophysical Journal Letters, 930(2), l20. doi:10.3847/2041-8213/ac65eb
Sberna, L., Bosch, P., East, W. E., Green, S. R., & Lehner, L. (2022). Nonlinear effects in the black hole ringdown: Absorption-induced mode excitation. Physical Review D, 105(6), 064046. doi:10.1103/physrevd.105.064046
Ortiz, N., Carrasco, F., Green, S. R., Lehner, L., Liebling, S. L., & Westernacher-Schneider, J. R. (2022). Gamma-radiation sky maps from compact binaries. Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics, 2022(02), 027. doi:10.1088/1475-7516/2022/02/027
Dideron, G., Mukherjee, S., & Lehner, L. (2023). New framework to study unmodeled physics from gravitational wave data. Physical Review D, 107(10), 104023. doi:10.1103/physrevd.107.104023
Abbott, R., Abe, H., Acernese, F., Ackley, K., Adhicary, S., Adhikari, N., . . . Collaboration, A. T. K. C. T. L. S. C. T. V. (2023). Open Data from the Third Observing Run of LIGO, Virgo, KAGRA, and GEO. The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series, 267(2), 29. doi:10.3847/1538-4365/acdc9f
Collaboration, T. L. I. G. O. S., Collaboration, T. V., Collaboration, T. K. A. G. R. A., Abac, A. G., Abbott, R., Abe, H., . . . Zweizig, J. (2023). Search for Eccentric Black Hole Coalescences during the Third Observing Run of LIGO and Virgo. arxiv:2308.03822v1
Cayuso, R., Figueras, P., França, T., & Lehner, L. (2023). Self-Consistent Modeling of Gravitational Theories beyond General Relativity. Physical Review Letters, 131(11), 111403. doi:10.1103/physrevlett.131.111403
Ciambelli, L., & Lehner, L. (2023). Fluid-gravity correspondence and causal first-order relativistic viscous hydrodynamics. Physical Review D, 108(12), 126019. doi:10.1103/physrevd.108.126019
Collaboration, T. L. I. G. O. S., Collaboration, T. V., Collaboration, T. K. A. G. R. A., Abac, A. G., Abbott, R., Abe, H., . . . Takidera, H. (2024). Ultralight vector dark matter search using data from the KAGRA O3GK run. arxiv:2403.03004v1
Corman, M., Lehner, L., East, W. E., & Dideron, G. (2024). Nonlinear studies of modifications to general relativity: Comparing different approaches. doi:10.48550/arxiv.2405.15581
Raman, G., Ronchini, S., Delaunay, J., Tohuvavohu, A., Kennea, J. A., Parsotan, T., . . . Zweizig, J. (2024). Swift-BAT GUANO follow-up of gravitational-wave triggers in the third LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA observing run. arxiv:2407.12867v2
Abac, A. G., Abbott, R., Abouelfettouh, I., Acernese, F., Ackley, K., Adhicary, S., . . . Collaboration, A. T. K. C. T. L. S. C. T. V. (2024). Observation of Gravitational Waves from the Coalescence of a 2.5–4.5 M ? Compact Object and a Neutron Star. The Astrophysical Journal Letters, 970(2), l34. doi:10.3847/2041-8213/ad5beb

Seminars

Panelist of Testing GR, Niels Bohr Institute, Coppenhagen, Denmark, 2025/08/27
Testing gravity in the strong gravity regime, challenges and options, Simon Frazer University/University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada, 2025/01/30
The many angles from fluid-gravity correspondence EFTs, Gravity, and Fluid Dynamics: Progress, Chal- lenges, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, Champaign, Il, USA, 2024/12/17
Testeando GR, obstaculos y solucions, Universidad de Concepcion; Concepcion, Chile, 2024/12/10
Inquiring through black holes, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States, 2024/11/20
Addressing the intrinsic tension between EFT gravity theories and the EOMs they yield, Gravitational waves meet effective field theorie, Centro de Ciencias de Benasque, Benasque, Spain, 2024/08/23
Timelike boundaries in gravity M, Universidad de Morelia, Morelia, Mexico, 2024/08/09
Testing GR, 1st Relativity Meeting at Tsinghua,, Tsinghua University, Astronomy, Beijing, China, 2024/07/24
Testing GR, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China, 2024/07/23
Non-linearities and gravitational signals from black hole spacetimes, International Conference of Basic Sciencies, BIMSA, Houariou, China, 2024/07/19
Testing Gravity with next generation detectors, DAWN VII Meeting, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada, 2024/06/12
Testing Gravity with next generation detectors, Annual Meeting Gravity and the Extreme University prorgram, Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, Whitehorse, Canada, 2024/06/03
Black holes and gravitational waves, SciComm Collider 2, 2024/05/10, PIRSA:24050065
Beyond General Relativity, methods and analysis, GRAV 24 Meeting, Universidad Nacional de Cordoba, Cordoba, Argentina, 2024/04/10
Testing GR, Universidad de Iles Baleares, Mallorca, Spain, 2024/03/05
Inquiring through black holes, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, United States, 2024/02/15
Gravitational waves and their sources, Simon Fraser Univ/University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada, 2024/01/29
Turbulent black holes and consequences for gravity and fluids., Field Theory and Turbulence Conference, International Center for Theoretical Sciences, India, 2023/12/21
Inquiring through black holes,, Diego Portales University, Santiago, Chile, 2023/11/15
Numerical Relativity, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile, 2023/11/13
Non-linear behavior of black hole horizons from different approaches, Workshop on Nonlinear Aspects of General Relativity, Princeton University, Princeton, United States, 2023/10/13
Gravitational Wave Theory, TRISEP 2023, 2023/06/30, PIRSA:23060083
Gravitational Wave Theory, TRISEP 2023, 2023/06/29, PIRSA:23060082
Gravitational Wave Theory, TRISEP 2023, 2023/06/28, PIRSA:23060081
Gravity for fluids and back, KAVLI, UCSB, 2023/06/08
Inquiring through Black Holes, University of Californa Davis, Physics, 2023/06/05
Gravitational waves in EFT gravity and beyond 'modeled signals', CIFAR, Annual Meeting, 2023/04/14
CLAPping for Jorge, non linearities and black hole relaxation, Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, physics, Baton Rouge, United States, 2023/03/19
Numerical Relativity, University of Waterloo, Applied Mathematics, 2022/12/05
Gravitational waves, contrasting the ’standards’ (BHs/NSs in GR) with ‘beyond standard scenarios (ECOs and/or extensions to GR), Japanese General Relativity Society, 2022/10/26
Horizons, fluid and what non-linearities might await, Quantum Gravity Around the Corner, 2022/10/06, PIRSA:22100021
Testing GR in the era of 3rd Generation Detectors, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, United States, 2022/08/01