News: Faculty

2020

‘Amazing’ Math Bridge Extended Beyond Fermat’s Last Theorem

April 7, 2020

Illustration of two islands linked by a bridge

In Quanta, Prof. Matthew Emerton describes two new papers that reveal fundamental number-theoretic phenomena that overcome the barrier of bridging two continents—a challenge generations of researchers have pursued as “Langland's program,” which seeks to create a grand unified theory of mathematics. These findings may help prove Fermat’s Last Theorem for some number systems beyond the positive whole numbers.


Richard Miller, pioneering computational astrophysicist, 1926-2020

April 6, 2020

Richard Miller, 1926-2020

Founding Chair on the Committee of Information Sciences and pioneer in numerical simulations of the formation of structure in the universe and dynamics of galaxies died on Mar. 7


Statistician Rina Foygel Barber wins Peter Gavin Hall Early Career Prize

March 30, 2020

Rina Foygel Barber

Prof. Foygel Barber wins Hall Award “for outstanding
contributions to the development of methodology and theory for structured
high-dimensional data problems such as sparse regression, sparse
nonparametric models, and low-rank models, as well as scalable
optimization techniques for nonconvex problems.”


PSD in the News - March 2020

March 30, 2020

PSD in white against a maroon background

This month PSD researchers have been featured for the efforts of chemists to decode RNA of the new coronavirus, using AI to decode cuneiform tablets, and predicting a new state of matter.


Labs around UChicago donate protective equipment to hospital

March 27, 2020

aerial view of hospital

Prof. Margaret Gardel leads effort to donate thousands of pieces of personal protective equipment from UChicago labs.


Mark Levin awarded Cancer Research Foundation Young Investigators Prize

March 24, 2020

Mark Levin

Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemistry Mark Levin was awarded the Cancer Research Foundation Young Investigators Prize for his proposal to find a new way to create a synthetic tracer compound which will significantly improve the effectiveness of current PET scan technology. If he is successful, his technology will open the door to a whole new class of more effective imaging compounds.


Margaret Gardel awarded the Sackler Prize in Biophysics

March 24, 2020

Margaret Gardel

Margaret Gardel, Professor in the Department of Physics and Director of the Material Research Science and Engineering Center, was awarded $25,000 for work on how cells sense mechanical forces and respond to those forces with chemical activity.


Understanding RNA could boost effectiveness of future COVID-19 vaccine

March 23, 2020

COVID-19

Prof. Chuan He hopes to begin working on purified viral RNA from collaborators early this week.


Richard Miller, pioneer of computational astrophysics, 1926–2020

March 23, 2020

Prof. Richard Miller

Prof. Richard Miller, founding Chair on the Committee of Information Sciences and pioneer in numerical simulations of the formation of structure in the universe and dynamics of galaxies, died Mar. 7 in Chicago.
 
 


An Automated Menu for LHC Data and the Search for Dark Matter

March 18, 2020

Particle accelorator data

With a CDAC Discovery Grant, physicist David Miller and computer scientist Yuxin Chen hope to build a "self-driving" system for selecting and analyzing data from the Large Hadron Collider at CERN


UChicago Medicine’s Emily Landon answers common questions about COVID-19

March 17, 2020

COVID-19 virus image

UChicago Medicine’s Emily Landon answers common questions about COVID-19. Assoc. Prof. Landon specializes in infectious disease, and serves as medical director of antimicrobial stewardship and infection control at University of Chicago Medicine.


“Active materials” could inspire new technology

March 13, 2020

slinky

James Franck Institute physicist Prof. Vincenzo Vitelli and his group push the boundaries between materials and machines. In a new Nature Physics paper, they explain "active materials” could inspire new technology


How AI could help translate the written language of ancient civilizations

March 13, 2020

Dig at Persepolis

Oriental Institute, Computer Science scholars collaborate on program to read cuneiform tablets


A theory for generating and moving energy efficiently

March 10, 2020

LeeAnn Sager, Prof. David Mazziotti, and Shiva Safaei

Scientists Shiva Safaei, Prof. David Mazziotti, and LeeAnn Sager discuss a prediction that dual states of matter can exist in the same material—which may be useful for applications


What makes a UChicago computer scientist a beloved campus figure

March 3, 2020

Borja Sotomayor

Geeky T-shirts, open door policy make UChicago computer scientist beloved campus figure