Robert Myers

Robert Myers profile picture
Director, Perimeter Institute
BMO Financial Group Isaac Newton Chair in Theoretical Physics
Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics
Areas of research:
I am a member of the Quantum Fields and Strings group at Perimeter. While I have broad interests in theoretical physics, my research has primarily focused on gravitational aspects of string theory. Much of my recent work has involved developing applications of a set of theoretical tools that has emerged from string theory, known as the AdS/CFT correspondence or more broadly as gauge/gravity duality. Currently, I am also very interested in studying the growing connections between quantum gravity and quantum information theory.
  • Distinguished Visiting Scholar, Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara, 2017
  • Acting Director, Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics, 2017
  • Acting Director, Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics, 2015
  • Chair of the Faculty, Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics, 2011-2018
  • Faculty Chair, Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics, 2010-2018
  • Adjunct Professor, Department of Physics, University of Waterloo, 2008-2009
  • Interim Scientific Director, Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics, 2007-2008
  • Visiting Physicist, Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara, 2006-2007
  • Visiting Physicist, Centre de Physique Theorique, Ecole Polytechnique, 2006-present
  • Visiting Physicist, Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara, 2004-present
  • Full Professor, Department of Physics, University of Waterloo, 2003-2008
  • Visiting Physicist, Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara, 2003-2008
  • Adjunct Professor, Department of Physics, University of Waterloo, 2001-2003
  • Full Professor, Department of Physics, McGill University, 2000-2003
  • Visiting Physicist, Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara, 1999
  • Visiting Physicist, Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara, 1997-1998
  • Associate Professor, Department of Physics, McGill University, 1994-1999
  • Visiting Physicist, Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara, 1993
  • Assistant Professor, Department of Physics, McGill University, 1989-1994
  • Postdoctoral Researcher, Institute for Theoretical Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara, 1986-1989
  • Ranked Among Best Scientists for 2023, Research.com, 2023
  • 2023 CAP Medal for Lifetime Achievement in Physics, Canadian Asssociation of Physicists, 2023
  • Highly Cited Researcher, Clarivate Analytics, 2021
  • Simons VarXiv project, Co-PI, Simons Foundation, 2020-2023
  • "It from Qubit" Collaboration Grant, Simons Foundation, 2019-2023
  • Discovery Grant, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), 2019-2024
  • Distinguished Alumni Award, University of Waterloo, 2018
  • Simons Emmy Noether Fellow Program, Co-PI, Simons Foundation, 2018-2023
  • Highly Cited Researcher, Clarivate Analytics, 2017
  • Highly Cited Researcher, Clarivate Analytics, 2016
  • World's Most Infuential Scientific Minds, Thomson Reuters, 2015
  • World's Most Influential Scientific Minds, Thomson Reuters, 2014
  • Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal, Governor General of Canada, 2013
  • Vogt Medal, Canadian Association of Physicists and TRIUMF, 2012
  • Paper selected as a highlight of 2008-2009, Editorial Board of Classical and Quantum Gravity, 2009
  • Elected fellow of the Society for having achieved distinction, Royal Society of Canada, 2006
  • Prize in Theoretical and Mathematical Physics, CAP-CRM, 2005
  • Herzberg Medal, Canadian Association of Physicists, 1999
  • Appointed Associate Member of the Program on Cosmology and Gravity, Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, 1998
  • Essay Contest, 1st place, Gravity Research Foundation, 1988
  • Alumni Gold Medal, University of Waterloo, 1982
  • Joseph Henry Award, Princeton University, 1982
  • Lloyd G. Elliot Prize, Canadian Association of Physicists, 1982
  • NSERC Postgraduate Scholarship, Princeton University, 1982
  • Myers, R. C., Ruan, S. -M., & Ugajin, T. (n.d.). Double holography of entangled universes. Journal of High Energy Physics, 2024(7), 35. doi:10.1007/jhep07(2024)035
  • Bernamonti, A., Galli, F., Myers, R. C., & Reyes, I. A. (2024). Rényi second laws for black holes. arxiv:2407.01753v1
  • Chen, H. Z., Myers, R., & Raclariu, A. -M. (2024). Entanglement, soft modes, and celestial holography. Physical Review D, 109(12), l121702. doi:10.1103/physrevd.109.l121702
  • Caminiti, J., Friedman-Shaw, B., May, A., Myers, R. C., & Papadoulaki, O. (2024). Holographic scattering and non-minimal RT surfaces. arxiv:2404.15400v2
  • Myers, R. C., & Ruan, S. -M. (2024). Complexity Equals (Almost) Anything. arxiv:2403.17475v1
  • Myers, R. C., Ruan, S. -M., & Ugajin, T. (2024). Double Holography of Entangled Universes. doi:10.48550/arxiv.2403.17483
  • Chen, H. Z., Myers, R., & Raclariu, A. -M. (2024). Entanglement, Soft Modes, and Celestial CFT. arxiv:2403.13913v1
  • Abajian, J., Aprile, F., Myers, R. C., & Vieira, P. (n.d.). Correlation functions of huge operators in AdS3/CFT2: domes, doors and book pages. Journal of High Energy Physics, 2024(3), 118. doi:10.1007/jhep03(2024)118
  • Abajian, J., Aprile, F., Myers, R. C., & Vieira, P. (n.d.). Holography and correlation functions of huge operators: spacetime bananas. Journal of High Energy Physics, 2023(12), 58. doi:10.1007/jhep12(2023)058
  • Chen, H. Z., Myers, R. C., & Raclariu, A. -M. (2023). Entanglement, Soft Modes, and Celestial Holography. arxiv:2308.12341v1
  • Jørstad, E., Myers, R. C., & Ruan, S. -M. (n.d.). Complexity=anything: singularity probes. Journal of High Energy Physics, 2023(7), 223. doi:10.1007/jhep07(2023)223
  • Abajian, J., Aprile, F., Myers, R. C., & Vieira, P. (2023). Correlation Functions of Huge Operators in AdS$_3$/CFT$_2$: Domes, Doors and Book Pages. doi:10.48550/arxiv.2307.13188
  • Baiguera, S., Berman, R., Chapman, S., & Myers, R. C. (n.d.). The cosmological switchback effect. Journal of High Energy Physics, 2023(7), 162. doi:10.1007/jhep07(2023)162
  • Abajian, J., Aprile, F., Myers, R. C., & Vieira, P. (2023). Holography and Correlation Functions of Huge Operators: Spacetime Bananas. doi:10.48550/arxiv.2306.15105
  • Belin, A., Myers, R. C., Ruan, S. -M., Sárosi, G., & Speranza, A. J. (n.d.). Complexity equals anything II. Journal of High Energy Physics, 2023(1), 154. doi:10.1007/jhep01(2023)154
  • Jørstad, E., Myers, R. C., & Ruan, S. -M. (n.d.). Holographic complexity in dSd+1. Journal of High Energy Physics, 2022(5), 119. doi:10.1007/jhep05(2022)119
  • Grimaldi, G., Hernandez, J., & Myers, R. C. (2022). Quantum extremal islands made easy. Part IV. Massive black holes on the brane. Journal of High Energy Physics, 2022(3), 136. doi:10.1007/jhep03(2022)136
  • Belin, A., Myers, R. C., Ruan, S. -M., Sárosi, G., & Speranza, A. J. (2022). Does Complexity Equal Anything?. Physical Review Letters, 128(8), 081602. doi:10.1103/physrevlett.128.081602
  • Hernandez, J., Myers, R. C., & Ruan, S. -M. (n.d.). Quantum extremal islands made easy. Part III. Complexity on the brane. Journal of High Energy Physics, 2021(2), 173. doi:10.1007/jhep02(2021)173
  • Chen, H. Z., Fisher, Z., Hernandez, J., Myers, R. C., & Ruan, S. -M. (n.d.). Evaporating black holes coupled to a thermal bath. Journal of High Energy Physics, 2021(1), 65. doi:10.1007/jhep01(2021)065
  • Panel Discussion - Black hole puzzles (Di Filippo, Gregory, Holdom, Myers, Stelle), Puzzles in the Quantum Gravity Landscape: viewpoints from different approaches, 2023/10/26, PIRSA:23100015
  • Complexity = (almost) anything, It from Qubit 2023, 2023/08/01, PIRSA:23080005
  • test, 2023/07/31
  • Complexity = (Almost) Anything, Gravity, Strings and Fields: A Conference in Honour of Gordon Semenoff, University of Montreal, Montreal, Canada, 2023/06/26
  • Scanning New Horizons: Information, Holography and Gravity, 2023 CAP Congress, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, Canada, 2023/06/21
  • Complexity = (Almost) Anything, International Centre for Theoretical Physics, Brazil, 2023/06/17
  • Panel Discussion: Open questions in Black Holes, Quantum Simulators of Fundamental Physics, 2023/06/07, PIRSA:23060016
  • Complexity = Anything, APS April Meeting 2023 Minneapolis, Minnesota (Apr 15-18), American Physical Society, College Park, United States, 2023/04/15
  • SciCollider Conference, Perimeter Institute, Waterloo, Canada, 2023/04/12
  • Complexity = Anything, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg; Am Hubland, Würzburg, 97074, Germany, 2023/03/27
  • Complexity Equals Anything, University of Michigan High Energy Theory Seminar Series, University of Michigan–Ann Arbor, Ann Arbor, United States, 2023/01/27
  • Introducing Perimeter's Strategic EDI Plan, Colloquium, 2022/11/09, PIRSA:22110051
  • Complexity=Anything, Verlinde Symposium, University of Amsterdam, 2022/07/15
  • How can we use information in quantum gravity?, Quantum Information Structure of Spacetime conference, Western University, London, ON, 2022/06/09
  • Complexity=Anything^2, Informational Architecture of Spacetime Workshop, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, Japan (online conference), 2022/05/29
  • Complexity=Anything^2, HoloTube seminar series (online), 2022/05/17
  • Complexity=Anything^2, Joint Israeli High-Energy-Theory Seminar series (online), 2022/04/26
  • Complexity=Anything^2, Gravity, Quantum Fields and Information (AEI)-Ghent University-Warsaw String Theory seminar series (online), 2022/01/25
  • Complexity=Anything^2, Tata Institute for Fundamental Research, Mumbai, India (online), 2022/01/10
  • Complexity, Holography & Quantum Field Theory, Oxford Complexity Meeting (hybrid conference), University of Oxford, UK (talk online), 2021/12/06
  • Complexity, Holography & Quantum Field Theory, Applications of Quantum Information Theory in Quantum Field Theory and Cosmology workshop, Lethbridge University, Lethbridge, Alberta (online conference), 2021/11/22
  • Complexity, Holography & Quantum Field Theory, Ben Gurion University (online), 2021/11/15