Sloan Research Fellowships

Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics

Department of Mathematics

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Assistant Professors Maya Fishbach (L) and Daniel Litt (supplied images)

Maya Fishbach and Daniel Litt from the Faculty of Arts & Science have been awarded prestigious 2024 Sloan Research Fellowships from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

The fellowships honour exceptional early-career Canadian and U.S. researchers whose creativity, innovation and research accomplishments make them stand out as the next generation of scientific leaders.

Fishbach, an assistant professor with the Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics, is carrying out gravitational wave research that is helping revolutionize our understanding of how and where black holes are made and how big the universe is.

Her foundational work on bridging the fields of gravitational physics and astrophysics is helping shape the field of multi-messenger astronomy — a new realm of research that draws on observations of both gravitational waves and electromagnetic radiation.

“It’s a huge honour to have my research recognized by the Sloan Foundation — especially because so many of my role models are past Sloan fellows, including several U of T physicists and astronomers,” says Fishbach. “I am super grateful for the support of all of my mentors, especially Professor Juna Kollmeier for always believing in me and University Professor Dick Bond for nominating me for this fellowship. I am also thankful to all the wonderful students, post-docs and colleagues around the world without whom my research wouldn’t be anywhere near as productive or fun.”

Litt is an assistant professor with the department of mathematics whose current research focuses on using algebraic-geometric and arithmetic tools to answer classical questions in geometry, topology, number theory and dynamics.

He is emerging as a world leader in using modern algebraic geometry to prove classical results in algebraic geometry.

“I'm honoured to receive the Sloan Research Fellowship, and I deeply appreciate the Sloan Foundation's recognition of my work on the arithmetic and topology of algebraic varieties,” says Litt. “I am excited to continue working towards a deeper understanding of the interrelationships between number theory, low-dimensional topology and algebraic geometry.

“My hope is that this continued work will help us discern answers to some of the fundamental questions in mathematics that lie in the interplay between these areas.”

Read the complete list of 2024 Sloan Research Fellows

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Four U of T researchers awarded Alfred P. Sloan Fellowships

lanthierj — Fri, 24 Feb 2023 18:15:25 +0000

Four U of T researchers awarded Alfred P. Sloan Fellowships

lanthierj Fri, 02/24/2023 - 13:15

Mississauga

Department of Computer and Mathematical Sciences

Department of Computer Science

David A. Dunlap Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics

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(L-R) Duncan Dauvergne, Jimmy Ba, Sushant Sachdeva and Maria Drout (photos supplied)

Jimmy Ba, Duncan Dauvergne, Maria Drout and Sushant Sachdeva have been named 2022 Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellows in recognition of their “creativity, innovation and research accomplishments” in the fields of computer science, mathematics and physics.

Ba is an assistant professor in the department of computer science in the University of Toronto's Faculty of Arts & Science and a member of the Vector Institute for Artificial Intelligence. He addresses some of the biggest challenges in training deep neural networks and his “significant contributions have advanced our field by making deep learning more efficient and reliable,” says Professor Eyal de Lara, chair of the department.

See the complete list of 2023 Fellows

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Five U of T researchers recognized with Sloan Research Fellowships

lanthierj — Wed, 16 Feb 2022 20:26:06 +0000

Five U of T researchers recognized with Sloan Research Fellowships

Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering

lanthierj Wed, 02/16/2022 - 15:26

U of T Scarborough

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Five University of Toronto researchers – two from the Faculty of Arts & Science, one from the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering and one each from U of T Mississauga and U of T Scarborough – have been awarded prestigious Sloan Research Fellowships for 2022.

The fellowships, awarded annually by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation since 1955, honour the extraordinary early career researchers in Canada and the United States “whose creativity, innovation and research accomplishments make them stand out as the next generation of scientific leaders.”

U of T was among a handful of North American schools to receive five or more fellowships this year, tying with Stanford University, University of Chicago and Columbia University – and just behind University of California, Los Angeles, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Northwestern University. The other Canadian school to receive a fellowship was the University of Alberta.

The five U of T researchers to be awarded Sloan Research Fellowships, which each provide US$75,000 over two years to advance fundamental research, are:

Assistant Professor David Duvenaud, department of computer science with a cross-appointment to the department of statistical sciences, Faculty of Arts & Science
Assistant Professor Michael Groechenig, department of mathematical and computational sciences, U of T Mississauga
Assistant Professor Alec Jacobson, department of computer science with a cross-appointment to the department of mathematics, Faculty of Arts & Science
Assistant Professor Alexander Kupers, department of computer and mathematical sciences, U of T Scarborough
Assistant Professor Nicolas Papernot, Edward S. Rogers Sr. department of electrical and computer engineering, Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering

Professor Marsha Chechik, chair of the department of computer science in the Faculty of Arts & Science, congratulated Duvenaud and Jacobson on their awards.

“Through his deeply insightful research in machine learning, David has demonstrated the power of radically disruptive ideas,” Chechik said. “Alec has made outstanding contributions to the area of geometry processing, and it has been exciting to witness the impact of his prolific research across a range of fields.”

Professor Deepa Kundur, chair of the Edward S. Rogers Sr. department of electrical and computer engineering in the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering, similarly offered her congratulations to Papernot for his award.

“Professor Papernot exemplifies the ECE mindset with forward-looking research and a willingness to learn about and incorporate other fields for impactful solutions,” Kundur said. “The Sloan Foundation has made an excellent choice for its early-career fellowship.”

At U of T Scarborough, Professor Irena Creed, vice-principal, research and innovation, lauded the work of Kupers.

“Congratulations to Professor Kupers on this tremendous – and much deserved – honour,” Creed said. “This fellowship recognizes researchers who are in the early stages of their careers and show great promise in making significant contributions to their fields. We look forward to seeing where his research will lead in the future.”

Professor Leah Cowen, U of T’s vice-president, research and innovation, and strategic initiatives, called each Sloan Research Fellow a rising star.

“From breakthroughs in computational chemistry to developing trustworthy artificial intelligence, they are pushing beyond the frontiers of what we know today to be possible,” Cowen said.

“U of T continues to be a leader in research with these prestigious fellowships – we received more fellowships than any other Canadian institution this year, and over the past decade, our remarkable researchers have accounted for half of Canada’s Sloan Fellows.

“We are immensely proud to see this latest group flourish in their fields.”

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Five U of T researchers recognized with Sloan Research Fellowships

lanthierj — Wed, 16 Feb 2022 19:28:59 +0000

Five U of T researchers recognized with Sloan Research Fellowships

Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering

lanthierj Wed, 02/16/2022 - 14:28

U of T Scarborough

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The five U of T researchers to be awarded Sloan Research Fellowships, which each provide US$75,000 over two years to advance fundamental research, are:

Assistant Professor David Duvenaud, department of computer science with a cross-appointment to the department of statistical sciences, Faculty of Arts & Science
Assistant Professor Michael Groechenig, department of mathematical and computational sciences, U of T Mississauga
Assistant Professor Alec Jacobson, department of computer science with a cross-appointment to the department of mathematics, Faculty of Arts & Science
Assistant Professor Alexander Kupers, department of computer and mathematical sciences, U of T Scarborough
Assistant Professor Nicolas Papernot, Edward S. Rogers Sr. department of electrical and computer engineering, Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering

Professor Marsha Chechik, chair of the department of computer science in the Faculty of Arts & Science, congratulated Duvenaud and Jacobson on their awards.

At U of T Scarborough, Professor Irena Creed, vice-principal, research and innovation, lauded the work of Kupers.

Professor Leah Cowen, U of T’s vice-president, research and innovation, and strategic initiatives, called each Sloan Research Fellow a rising star.

“From breakthroughs in computational chemistry to developing trustworthy artificial intelligence, they are pushing beyond the frontiers of what we know today to be possible,” Cowen said.

“We are immensely proud to see this latest group flourish in their fields.”

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Tovi Grossman awarded a Sloan Research Fellowship

lanthierj — Wed, 17 Feb 2021 23:05:48 +0000

Tovi Grossman awarded a Sloan Research Fellowship

lanthierj Wed, 02/17/2021 - 18:05

Department of Computer Science

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Assistant Professor Tovi Grossman of the department of computer science in the Faculty of Arts & Science has received a Sloan Research Fellowship.

“The department of computer science is composed of many outstanding early career scientists with exceptional promise, so to be recognized for such an award is humbling,” Grossman said. “This is a direct result of the fantastic students, collaborators and mentors I’ve had the privilege to work with throughout my research career.

“It is particularly rewarding that I can share this honour with my colleague and collaborator, Daniel Wigdor, and our shared PhD supervisor, Ravin Balakrishnan. Support from this award will allow my students and I to continue to contribute to this lineage of human-computer interaction research excellence at University of Toronto.”

Grossman’s wide-ranging research includes the development of contextual, media-rich and personalized learning systems to help users adopt complex software applications. His research on computing technologies, wearable devices, virtual reality and their potential to transform how we learn is having an impact on the ability of humans to work alongside automated technologies such as robotics. And his pursuit of research with real-world impact can be seen in technologies developed from his work – such as Autodesk Screencast and Autodesk Sketchbook Motion.

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Sophie Rousseaux awarded a Sloan Research Fellowship

lanthierj — Wed, 17 Feb 2021 22:47:34 +0000

Sophie Rousseaux awarded a Sloan Research Fellowship

lanthierj Wed, 02/17/2021 - 17:47

Department of Chemistry

Women in STEM

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Assistant Professor Sophie Rousseaux of the department of chemistry in the Faculty of Arts & Science has received a Sloan Research Fellowship.

Rousseaux’s research in synthetic chemistry focuses on the development of new methods to access, more efficiently and safely, biologically active and medicinally relevant small molecules – particularly through transition metal catalysis.

Rousseaux’s work is of significance to the biotech, agrochemicals and materials sectors. The impact of her work is also evident in the interest paid to it by the pharmaceutical industry. She has been invited to speak at various pharmaceutical companies, and has also consulted and collaborated within the industry.

“It is such an honour to have been selected as a 2021 Sloan Research Fellow in Chemistry,” says Rousseaux. “The fellowship is a recognition of the amazing work the students in my group have been doing and I’m very grateful for their contributions to my research program over the last five years.

“The Sloan fellowship will have a significant impact on my career, allowing my group to develop new synthetic methods to access medicinally relevant small molecules in a more efficient and/or safer manner.”

A Canada Research Chair in Organic Chemistry, Rousseaux was an NSERC postdoctoral fellow and Glasstone Research Fellow at the University of Oxford, and held a junior research fellowship at St. John’s College. She joined U of T in 2015.

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Roger Grosse awarded a Sloan Research Fellowship

lanthierj — Wed, 17 Feb 2021 22:37:54 +0000

Roger Grosse awarded a Sloan Research Fellowship

lanthierj Wed, 02/17/2021 - 17:37

Department of Computer Science

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Machine learning researcher Roger Grosse, an assistant professor in the Faculty of Arts & Science’s department of computer science, has received a Sloan Research Fellowship.

A Canada Research Chair in Probabilistic Inference and Deep Learning, Grosse is contributing to fundamental advances in artificial intelligence (AI), particularly in the deep neural networks (DNN) used for language processing, vision systems and e-commerce.

“I am humbled and honored to receive the Sloan Fellowship which has supported generations of outstanding researchers,” Grosse said. “It will help enormously to push forward my research on understanding neural network training dynamics and using this understanding to improve neural nets' efficiency, robustness and ease of use. I’m grateful for the career opportunities this recognition unlocks.”

Grosse’s work is yielding advances in understanding of what makes DNNs work and how to fully optimize network architectures and algorithms so that they train faster, generalize better, can reveal the underlying structure of a problem and make more robust decisions. He is also producing significant theoretical results – for example, with advances related to how networks converge on solutions.

While his work is contributing to the greater realization of the potential of machine learning’s positive impact on computer science and real-world challenges, Grosse also investigates the ethics of AI to ensure that AI systems are consistent with human values.

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David Curtin awarded a Sloan Research Fellowship

lanthierj — Wed, 17 Feb 2021 22:29:28 +0000

David Curtin awarded a Sloan Research Fellowship

lanthierj Wed, 02/17/2021 - 17:29

Department of Physics

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Theoretical particle physicist David Curtin, an assistant professor in the Faculty of Arts & Science’s department of physics, has received a Sloan Research Fellowship.

“It is wonderful to receive this fellowship,” says Curtin. “It’s an especially cathartic piece of good news for me in the midst of the long pandemic lockdown. I take this honour as vindication of my approach to fundamental physics research – which blurs the lines between disciplines – and as encouragement to press on into new areas.

A Canada Research Chair in Theoretical Particle Physics, Curtin has made important contributions in such research areas as: supersymmetry; the behaviour of quantum fields during the Big Bang; the Higgs Boson; so-called long-lived particles that are relatively slow to decay; theoretical work related to the search for dark matter; as well as questions driving the construction of the next generation of detectors and high-energy particle accelerators.

Curtin’s quest for new physics is demonstrated in his proposal to build an innovative experiment named MATHUSLA to find previously undetectable particles generated by the Large Hadron Collider. Curtin is one of the leaders of the international collaboration developing the project.

“This recognition will greatly aid my research program,” he says. “It underlines U of T's status as a world leader in fundamental science, which is vital to attract the top young talent and other resources we need to make our visions a reality.”

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Yevgeny Liokumovich awarded a Sloan Research Fellowship

lanthierj — Wed, 17 Feb 2021 16:08:27 +0000

Yevgeny Liokumovich awarded a Sloan Research Fellowship

lanthierj Wed, 02/17/2021 - 11:08

Mississauga

Department of Mathematical and Computational Sciences

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Assistant Professor Yevgeny Liokumovich of the department of mathematical and computational sciences at the University of Toronto Mississauga has been awarded a Sloan Research Fellowship.

Liokumovich studies quantitative topology and a specialized area of geometric analysis known as min-max theory – working with complicated shapes, involving higher dimensions and other confounding factors, to solve problems related to advanced mathematics and everyday scenarios.

“I'm interested in all spaces that can be locally described mathematically as a flat plain or its higher dimensional analogs. What are the ways they can be deformed? What kinds of geometry can they possibly have?” Liokumovich says. “Min-max Theory can be used to construct objects known as minimal surfaces. Minimal surfaces have been used to prove important results in general relativity, and I am hoping that they will also lead to new insights.”

Liokumovich, who grew up in Kazahkhstan and moved to Toronto in Grade 11, did his undergraduate work and PhD at U of T. He says the chair of his department, Konstantin Khanin, encouraged him to apply for the fellowship.

“He was very enthusiastic, but I was kind of unsure. I always hesitate asking people for reference letters. They’re very busy people working on very important problems. But Konstantin encouraged me to overcome that.”

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Five U of T researchers recognized with Sloan Research Fellowships

lanthierj — Wed, 17 Feb 2021 11:47:16 +0000

Five U of T researchers recognized with Sloan Research Fellowships

lanthierj Wed, 02/17/2021 - 06:47

Mississauga