Continuing on from the last post on Scientific Advisors Shaping Quantum 2.0 For Industry, here’s Part 2 of the series, Advisors: 22–42
*All data correct as of late August 2021
22. Peter Zoller: Scientific Advisor, ColdQuanta
A Scientific Advisor at cold-atom-based QC company ColdQuanta and the co-founder of Alpine Quantum Technologies, an Austrian quantum computing hardware startup, Peter Zoller is a theoretical physicist and Professor at the University of Innsbruck who specializes in quantum optics and quantum information. He is best known for, however, his pioneering research on quantum computing and quantum communication and for bridging quantum optics and solid-state physics.
With a career that stretches back decades, amongst his many positions (plenty omitted) Zoller was appointed Professor of Physics and JILA Fellow at JILA and at the Physics Department of the University of Colorado, Boulder. At the end of 1994, he accepted a chair at the University of Innsbruck, where he has worked ever since. From 1995 to 1999, he headed the Institute of Theoretical Physics, from 2001 to 2004, he was vice-dean of studies. Zoller continues to keep in close touch with JILA as Adjoint Fellow. Numerous guest professorships have taken him to all major centers of physics throughout the world. He was Loeb lecturer in Harvard, Boston, and Yan Jici chair professor at the University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, chair professor at Tsinghua University, Beijing, Lorentz professor at the University of Leiden in the Netherlands, Distinguished Lecturer at the Technion in Haifa, Moore Distinguished Scholar at Caltech and Arnold Sommerfeld Lecturer at LMU München. He has also been a “Distinguished Fellow” at the Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics in Garching, Munich. In 2014 he has been elected as an “External Scientific Member” at the Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics. A Year later, he held the International Jacques Solvay Chair in Physics at the University of Brussels. Since the early 2000s, Zoller has also held the position of Scientific Director at the Institute for Quantum Optics and Quantum Information (IQOQI) of the Austrian Academy of Sciences.
His research has included major works on the interaction of laser light and atoms, as well as fundamental developments in quantum optics where he has succeeded in bridging quantum information and solid-state physics.
Along with his countless awards, Zoller is the co-author (with Crispin Gardiner) of four books on quantum physics.
Zoller obtained his Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Innsbruck.
23. Rainer Blatt: Scientific Advisor, ColdQuanta
Just as esteemed as his colleague Peter Zoller, experimental physicist Rainer Blatt is also a Scientific Advisor for the Colorado-based company and also co-founded Alpine Quantum Technologies back in 2018.
With some outstanding research experiments in the fields of precision spectroscopy, quantum metrology and quantum information processing to his name, Blatt works with atoms caught in ion traps which he manipulates using laser beams. This work is based on suggestions made in the mid-1990s by theorists Ignacio Cirac and Peter Zoller.
His awards include an honorary doctorate from the Complutense University of Madrid, the Micius Quantum Prize in 2018 and he was the 2015 winner of the John Stewart Bell Prize for Research on Fundamental Issues in Quantum Mechanics and their Applications.
Since 2008 Blatt is a full member of the Austrian Academy of Sciences. He was elected a foreign associate of the US National Academy of Sciences in 2019. In 2020 he was accepted as a foreign member of the Spanish Royal Academy of Sciences.
Blatt received his Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Mainz.
24. Sir Peter Knight: Scientific Advisor, ColdQuanta
The last of the three prestigious scientific advisors on ColdQuanta’s books is Sir Peter Knight. A Senior Research Investigator in the Physics Department at Imperial College and Senior Fellow in Residence at the Kavli Royal Society International Centre at Chicheley Hall, he was knighted in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List in 2005 for his work in optical physics.
He was until 2008 Principal of the Faculty of Natural Sciences at Imperial College London and Head of the Physics Department, Imperial College London from 2001 to 2005. Sir Peter Knight is also a Past-President of the Optical Society of America and was for 7 years a member of their Board of Directors and a Director of the OSA Foundation. He was coordinator of the SERC Nonlinear Optics Initiative, past-chair of the EPS Quantum Electronics and Optics Division and Editor of the Journal of Modern Optics from 1987 to 2006. He is Editor of Contemporary Physics and serves on a number of other Editorial Boards. He is a Thomson-ISI “Highly Cited Author.”
Sir Peter has won a number of prizes and awards including the Thomas Young Medal and the Glazebrook Medal of the Institute of Physics, the Ives Medal of the OSA and the Royal Medal of the Royal Society. He has been a Visiting Professor at the University of Louvain-la-Neuve, a Humboldt Research Award holder at the University of Konstanz and a Visiting Scholar at the University of Texas at Austin and at the University of Rochester. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Physics, the Optical Society of America and of the Royal Society. He was an elected member of the Council of the Royal Society from 2005 to 2007 and was a member of their Audit Committee and chair of the Hooke Committee responsible for scientific meetings at the Royal Society. He is chair of the University Research Fellowships Ai Panel for 2010–13.
Knight received his first degree and D.Phil. in Physics from Sussex University.
25. Jeffrey Parker: Advisor, Crypto Quantique
The first of four advisors for London-based quantum cybersecurity startup Crypto Quantique, Jeffrey Parker has been in the role since 2016 and brings over forty years combined experience in computing, cryptography and strategy in the RAF and across the security industry. Since 2012, he has consulted in business innovation and cyber security.
His work, then, is seeing Crypto Quantique’s quantum-driven cybersecurity solutions move to the next level.
26. Kenny Paterson: Advisor, Crypto Quantique
Kenny Paterson is an IACR Fellow and Professor of Computer Science at ETH Zurich, where he leads the Applied Cryptography Group. His work spans communications protocols, PQC and encrypted databases.
A specialist in applied cryptography, Paterson obtained his Ph.D. in Mathematics from Royal Holloway, University of London.
27. Jon Geater: Advisor, Crypto Quantique
An expert in cryptography, cybersecurity and blockchains, Jon Geater has held senior technical roles at Thales e-Security, Trustonic, ARM and nCipher driving chip-to-cloud solutions, as well as being the co-founder and CTO of Data Assurance Hub, Jitsuin.
An expert in cryptography, enterprise security and hardware security, his skills are helping CryptoQuantique build the most secure end-to-end IoT security platform.
28. Ruediger Schack: Advisor, Crypto Quantique
The final person contributing to Crypto Quantique’s future in an advisory role is Professor and Head of Mathematics at the Royal Holloway University of London, Ruediger Schack. With research interests that include quantum information theory, quantum cryptography and quantum Bayesianism, Schack’s expertise in mathematics and quantum dynamics amongst other things can only have positive repercussions for the London startup.
Schack obtained his Ph.D. in Theoretical Physics from the University of Munich and has held postdoctoral positions at the Max Planck Institute for Quantum Optics, the University of Southern California, the University of New Mexico, and Queen Mary and Westfield College.
29. José Ignacio Latorre: Advisory Board Member, Entanglement Partners
José Ignacio Latorre is an Advisory Board Member at Entanglement Partners, the first consulting company in Spain and Latin America whose business is focused on quantum technologies.
A theoretical physicist by profession, he is the Chief Researcher Officer at the Technology Innovation Institute and Head of the Quantum Computation Center. Latorre’s expertise includes Quantum Computation and Information, elementary particles, Quantum Field Theory, AI, algorithms, and data mining.
Latorre obtained his Ph.D. in Theoretical Physics from the Universitat de Barcelona.
30. Kenneth Brown: Advisor, IonQ
Kenneth Brown is an Advisor at trapped-ion startup IonQ. A Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Duke University, Brown’s research interest is the control of quantum systems for both understanding the natural world and developing new technologies.
His current research areas are the development of robust quantum computers and the study of molecular properties at cold and ultracold temperatures, while he possesses expertise in quantum error correction, quantum control, quantum computer architecture, ion trap quantum computing, and the spectroscopy of sympathetically cooled molecular ions.
Brown received his Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of California, Berkeley.
31. Umesh Vazirani: Advisor, IonQ
Along with his duties at IonQ as an Advisor, Umesh Vazirani is the Roger A. Strauch Professor of EECS and the co-director of the Berkeley Quantum Computation Center (BQIC). His research interests lie primarily in quantum computing.
Vazirani obtained his Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of California, Berkeley.
32. Dave Wineland: Advisor, IonQ
IonQ’s final Scientific Advisor is Nobel-laureate physicist at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) physics laboratory, Dave Wineland. is the A Philip H. Knight Distinguished Research Chair, University of Oregon. Wineland’s work has included advances in optics, specifically laser-cooling trapped ions and using ions for quantum-computing operations. He was awarded the 2012 Nobel Prize in Physics, jointly with Serge Haroche, for “ground-breaking experimental methods that enable measuring and manipulation of individual quantum systems.”
With awards as long as your arm including the Einstein Prize for Laser Science of the Society of Optical and Quantum Electronics, the Micius Quantum Prize, the National Medal of Science and the Schawlow Prize, IonQ is lucky to have such a great mind on the team to assist the company with its unique trapped-ion approach that combines unmatched physical performance, perfect qubit replication, optical networkability, and highly-optimized algorithms to create a quantum computer that is as scalable as it is powerful, and that will support a broad array of applications across a variety of industries.
Wineland received his Ph.D. in Physics from Harvard University.
33. Masayuki Ohzeki, Advisor, JiJ
Masayuki Ohzeki is an Advisor at Japanese quantum algorithm development and consulting startup JiJ.
A Professor at the Department of Basic Information Science, Graduate School of Information Science, Tohoku University, his expertise will come in useful for JiJ’s task of solving optimization problems for business issues.
34. Masamiti Miyama, Advisor, JiJ
Another Advisor for JiJ, Masamiti Miyama is a faculty member at the Department of Applied Information Sciences, Graduate School of Information Sciences, Tohoku University and a specialist in statistical mechanics, data-driven science, quantum annealing, nonequilibrium phenomena, and ML.
35. Christian Pfleiderer, Scientific Advisor, Co-Founder, kiutra
Christian Pfleiderer is a Scientific Advisor, as well as Co-Founder of kiutra, a German startup developing next-generation cooling devices for basic research, quantum technology and detector applications.
A Professor who holds the chair for Topology of Correlated Systems at TUM, Pfleiderer has more than 30 years of experience and an excellent track record in low-temperature science at various research institutes worldwide. He supports and advises the kiutra team on all scientific and low-temperature-related topics.
Pfleiderer gained his Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Cambridge.
36. Ada Silos-Santiago: Senior Consultant, Menten AI
Ada Silos-Santiago is a Senior Consultant at Menten AI, an early-stage drug discovery startup developing technology to leapfrog current computational methods and make it possible to design completely new protein therapeutics from scratch — unlocking an uncharted territory for drug discovery.
A drug discovery leader with expertise delivering drug candidates for clinical development and FDA approval, Silos-Santiago’s strengths are in leading effective and successful teams, working cross-functionally with discovery and development organizations, establishing productive relationships with CROs, engaging academic collaborations, and due diligence.
Silos-Santiago is a Doctor of Medicine with a PhD in Neurobiology and Neurosciences from the Universidad de Cantabria.
37. Ludwik Adamowicz: Chemistry & Physics Advisor, ODE, L3C
Ludwik Adamowicz is a Chemistry and Physics Advisor at ODE, L3C, an American enterprise on a mission to change the world by solving non-deterministic polynomial-time hardness chemistry problems with quantum algorithms running on any suitable computing platform including classic, hybrid classic-quantum, digital or analog hardware.
With research that has focused throughout his career on the development and application of quantum chemical theoretical methods for more accurate determination of the stationary and dynamic quantum states of molecular systems, Adamowicz’s methodological development has comprised theory formulation, computational implementation and application calculations.
Adamowicz received his Ph.D. from the Institute of Physical Chemistry of the Polish Academy of Sciences.
38. Donald Kinghorn: Hardware & Computing Advisor, ODE, L3C
ODE’s second technical advisor, Donald Kinghorn is focused on the hardware and computing aspect of the company’s development.
A multifaceted computer professional with strong mathematical background with experience as a scientist and technical consultant, Kinghborn was an early pioneer in cluster computing. Specialized in Linux clusters for quantum/computational chemistry, He has designed, built, configured, and supported parallel computing hardware and software along with a small group of other PhDs.
Currently, Kinghorn has taken an interest in ML algorithms, implementations and applications.
He obtained his Ph.D. in Theoretical Chemistry from Washington State University.
39. Cristina Escoda: Advisor, Co-founder, ORCA Computing
Cristina Escoda is an Advisor and Co-founder of ORCA Computing, a startup whose exciting IP is based on photonic qubits.
A person we have covered before at TQD, she has more than a decade’s worth of experience as an investor and operator for early-stage deep tech companies. Escoda started her career as a derivative structurer in the emerging markets trading desk for HSBC in NYC, and she later joined the hedge fund D.E. Shaw & Co., where she worked in quant algorithm development, macro trading, and business development. Cristina has held positions as Chief Data Scientist for Revon (a digital health startup recently acquired by Zyus) and as CEO for Polymaze (a venture-funded by Univision Communications Inc.). She is also a founding partner at Tachyon Ventures, an early-stage life sciences fund.
Escoda has a Ph.D. in String Theory from Cambridge University.
40. Chris Peikert: Advisor, PQ Shield
A Professor of Cryptography at the University of Michigan, Chris Peikert is the first of three technical advisors at PQ Shield, a spinout company from the University of Oxford with unrivalled domain expertise in the design and implementation of quantum-resistant cryptography for software and hardware applications.
With research interests that include cryptography, lattices, coding theory, algorithms, and computational complexity, Peikert’s particular focus is on cryptographic schemes whose security can be based on the apparent intractability of lattice problems.
Peikert received his Ph.D. in Computer Science and Engineering from the MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory
41. Peter Schwabe: Advisor, PQ Shield
A Professor of Computer Security at Radboud University, The Netherlands, Peter Schwabe is another Advisor at PQ Shield.
A tenured faculty member at the Max-Planck Institute for Security and Privacy and a part-time professor for cryptographic engineering in the Digital Security Group at Radboud University, Schwabe is an expert in cryptography and software optimization.
He gained his Ph.D. at the Eindhoven University of Technology in the Coding and Cryptology Group with his thesis: High-Speed Cryptography and Cryptanalysis.
42. Artur Ekert: Advisor, PQ Shield
Like Zoller, Blatt and Wineland, crypto-physicist Artur Ekert is one of the most esteemed academics in the quantum sphere on the list. Apart from being an Advisor at PQ Shield, Ekert is a Professorial Fellow in Quantum Physics and Cryptography at the University of Oxford, a Fellow of the Singapore National Academy of Science and the founding director of the Centre for Quantum Technologies (CQT).
A pioneer of quantum cryptography, his research interests throughout the years has extended over most aspects of information processing in quantum-mechanical systems, with a focus on quantum communication and quantum computation.
For his discovery of quantum cryptography, he was awarded the 1995 Maxwell Medal and Prize by the Institute of Physics, the 2007 Hughes Medal by the Royal Society and the 2019 Micius Quantum Prize. He is also a co-recipient of the 2004 European Union Descartes Prize. In 2016 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society. He is a fellow of the Singapore National Academy of Science and a recipient of the 2017 Singapore Public Administration Medal (Silver) Pingat Pentadbiran Awam.
Ekert received his Ph.D. from the University of Oxford with a thesis on how quantum entanglement and non-locality can be used to distribute cryptographic keys with perfect security.
Part Three coming soon!
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