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Applied Physics

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Applied Physics is an area of study within the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. Prospective students apply through Harvard Griffin GSAS; in the online application, select  “Engineering and Applied Sciences” as your program choice and select “PhD Applied Physics” in the Area of Study menu.

Are you a problem solver? If so, Applied Physics is the program for you. Applied Physicists are problem solvers by nature, spending their time exploring the phenomena that become the foundation of quantum and photonic devices and novel materials. Located at the intersection of physics and engineering, Applied Physics enables you to study the fundamentals of complex systems, including living organisms. You will work with faculty to research biomaterials, materials, photonics, quantum engineering, and soft matter.

Projects worked on by current and past students include developing millimeter-size flat lenses for virtual and augmented reality platforms, discovering materials for stable quantum computing, and building fundamental technologies for integrated photonics.

Graduates of the program have gone on to a range of careers in industry in companies like Apple, NTT Physics & Information Labs, and Intel. Others have secured faculty positions at University of Wisconsin, Stanford, and Columbia.

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Julia was born in Chicago, Illinois, and after a 15 year sojourn in the DC area, returned to obtain her bachelor's degree in physics from the University...

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Karri is a recent graduate who worked with Melissa Franklin in the Harvard ATLAS group. As a PhD student she spent most of her time looking for long-lived...

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Undergraduate Program

The concentration in Physics, administered by the Department of Physics, serves a variety of goals and interests. A concentration in Physics provides a foundation for subsequent professional work in physics, and also for work in computer science, astronomy, biophysics, chemical physics, engineering and applied physics, earth and planetary sciences, geology, astrophysics, and the history and philosophy of science. Less obviously perhaps, the intellectual attitudes in physics — blending imagination, prediction, observation, and deduction — provide an excellent base for subsequent graduate work in professional schools of medicine, education, law, business, and public administration. Students are also eligible to apply for an A.B./A.M. degree program.

Graduate education in physics at Harvard offers students exciting opportunities extending over a diverse range of subjects and departments. In the Department of Physics, graduate students work in state-of-the-art facilities with renowned faculty and accomplished postdoctoral fellows. The department’s primary areas of experimental and theoretical research include atomic and molecular physics, quantum optics, condensed-matter physics, computational physics, the physics of solids and fluids, biophysics, astrophysics, statistical mechanics, mathematical physics, high-energy particle physics, quantum field theory, string theory, and relativity.

Quantum Science & Engineering

Join the quantum revolution at Harvard.

We are witnessing the birth of Quantum Science & Engineering, an event no less significant than the advent of the physics and engineering of electronics at the beginning of the last century. This new discipline demands new approaches to educating the rising generations of researchers who will require deep knowledge of science and engineering principles.

The quantum world of very small things has only recently been amenable to full control and this, in turn, has led to an explosion in potential applications, from new approaches to computation and communication, to more rapid drug discovery, and new sensors with unprecedented precision and resolution. We are at the frontier of the development of fully engineered quantum systems, starting from physical phenomena exhibited by quantum materials, integrating devices and systems subject to quantum architectures, and transforming the way in which we acquire, communicate, and process information.

Harvard University plays a leading role in the development of Quantum Science & Engineering. We invite you to learn more about our PhD program .

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Featured Stories

Two SEAS students awarded 2024 Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships

Award will support graduate studies

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Using sound to test devices, control qubits

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May 3, 2024: Brian Liau (Harvard)

Chemical Genomics: Small Molecule Mechanism in the Era of Large-scale Genetics The orchestrated interactions ofprotein complexes shapecell function and state.Dysregulationof these complexes and their interactionscanunderlie human disease, and new therapeuticapproaches to modulate them by blocking or even creating interactionswith small moleculesaretransforming paradigms for drugdiscovery.Beyond theirpromiseas therapeutics, smallmolecules are powerful tools to dissect the function andbiology of protein complexes,yettheirfull potential is only unlocked if we understand their mechanisms of action. By combininggenomeediting withsmall moleculeprofiling, we describe the systematic identification of drugresistance-conferringmutationsacross protein targetsof interest.These drug resistancemutationsnot only confirm on-targetengagementbut can be used as powerful discovery toolsindeepermechanisticstudiesto uncoverunexpectedaspects ofsmall molecule and targetbiology.In this seminar, I willshowcase these capabilities throughtwovignetteselucidatingthemechanisms of small molecules targetingtheLSD1corepressor complex.I will describe how theapplication ofourchemical genomic approachesenabled us todeconvolutedrug mechanism ofaction andreveal a remarkable mechanistic convergence between a molecular glue degrader andcancer mutations,reshapingour views on targetingprotein-protein interactions for therapeuticapplicationsand targeted protein degradation.Brian LiauBiographyBrian Liau is an associate professor in the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology atHarvard University. He obtained his bachelor’s degree in Chemistry and Physics from HarvardCollege, before receiving a PhD in Chemistry under the guidance of Dr. Matthew Shair. During hisPhD studies, Brian completed the chemical synthesis of complex bioactive natural products andinvestigated their biological mechanism of action. As a postdoctoral fellow with Dr. BradleyBernsteinat Massachusetts General Hospital,he studied epigenetic mechanisms of adaptationand drug resistance in brain cancer.In 2016, Brian startedhisindependentresearch group, whichintegrateschemicalbiologywith genomicstounravelchromatincomplexes and gene regulation.The Liau lab haspioneered chemical genomic approaches to systematically identify drugresistance-conferring mutations for protein drug targets, which they leverage in mechanisticstudies to discover small molecule mechanism of action and new target biology.

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Amanda Randles Awarded ACM Prize in Computing

Randles was recognized for her groundbreaking work to use high performance computing to revolutionize medical diagnostics

Amanda Randles, the Alfred Winborne and Victoria Stover Mordecai Associate Professor of Biomedical Sciences at Duke University, was awarded the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) Prize in Computing. This prestigious award is presented to early-to-mid-career computer scientists whose research contributions have fundamental impact and broad implications. Awardees receive $250,000 from an endowment provided by Infosys. Ltd.

“Developing the best tools to help doctors prevent disease and improve patient care is one of the most worthwhile endeavors,” ACM President Yannis Ioannidis said in a press release. “Amanda Randles’ work addresses some of humanity’s most significant health challenges, such as heart disease and cancer. Every day, computers enable significant advances in many fields. Behind these advances there is always someone who has the vision to employ computing against a scientific challenge and the insight to devise and develop innovative methods to address the challenge. Amanda Randles has been that someone and has used her experience and technological breadth and depth to open new possibilities at the intersection of computation and biophysics.”

The ACM recognized Randles for her work to use innovative algorithms and high-performance computational tools to create detailed digital models to diagnose and treat vascular diseases. To accomplish this, Randles and her team developed a massively parallel fluid dynamics simulation, known as HARVEY. Randles began developing the code for HARVEY as a doctoral student working with Efthimios Kaxiras, the John Hasbrouck Van Vleck Professor of Pure and Applied Physics and Hanspeter Pfisetr, the An Wang Professor of Computer Science, at Harvard University.

Named after William Harvey, the scientist who discovered the circulation of blood, Randles first used the software to perform the first ever full-body scale simulation of 3D blood flow at the cellular level . In subsequent work, Randles used HARVEY to create models that can digitally mimic an entire week’s worth of an individual’s heartbeats, cataloging more than 700,000 beats . The previous record was only a few minutes.

In addition to this work, Randles and her team developed a computational approach called Adaptive Physics Refinement (APR) that captures detailed cellular interactions and their effects on cellular trajectory. Working with teams at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Randles was able to use APR to enhance the capabilities of a computational model to stimulate the movement of individual cancer cells across the human body, essentially creating a window that could track how cancer cells collide and interact with blood cells as they move through the vasculature. 

Randles’ pioneering work has led to computational advancements that allow researchers to optimize the use of supercomputers and cloud computing resources, enabling them to create detailed multiscale models while still significantly reducing computational demands.

I was first exposed to high performance computing work at IBM on the Blue Gene supercomputer. This effort showed me the real potential of supercomputers in tackling complex biomedical problems. As we witness the convergence of AI, continuous biometric monitoring, and robust computing platforms, the opportunities for innovation are boundless, and I’m thrilled to see our work push the boundaries of what’s possible in patient care.

“I am truly humbled to receive the ACM Prize in Computing. This honor is representative of not just my work, but the invaluable efforts of my students, collaborators, and mentors,” she said. “Their teamwork has been essential to our success, and I am deeply grateful to share this achievement with anyone who has been a part of my journey.”

Randles received her bachelor’s degree in both computer science and physics from Duke University, where she received her first patent as an undergraduate student. She earned her master’s degree in computer science and her PhD in applied physics from Harvard University with a secondary field in computational science. Randles has received wide recognition and honors for her work, including the 2017 ACM Grace Murray Hopper Award, an NSF CAREER Award , an NIH Pioneer Award , and she was named an MIT Technology Review Innovator Under 35, a 2020 Young Innovator of Cellular and Molecular Bioengineering , and a member of the National Academy of Inventors .

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Physics graduate Mason Ng to attend Nobel laureate event

23 April 2024

Faculty of Science , Alumni , Doctoral

Waipapa Taumata Rau graduate Mason Ng will be one of the young scientists exchanging views with superstars of physics.

Studying physics at the University of Auckland, Mason Ng dreamed of attending a world event where students mix with Nobel Prize winners. Now, it’s happening.

“It’s wild to me that I’m invited,” says Mason, who will attend the 73rd Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting in Lindau, Germany, from 30 June to 5 July.

The event brings students together with superstars of physics for exchanges between different generations on topics such as quantum physics, the future of energy, and AI.

Anne L’Huillier and Ferenc Krausz will be among more than 30 Nobel Laureates in attendance, along with more than 650 young scientists from around the world, chosen through a competitive process.

Mason is on the verge of completing a PhD at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology on neutron stars. He was a dux at Auckland’s Lynfield College before graduating from Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland with a Bachelor of Science (Honours).

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Paul Panckhurst | media adviser M: 022 032 8475 E: paul.panckhurst@auckland.ac.nz