Robert Myers

Robert Myers profile picture
Director, Perimeter Institute
BMO Financial Group Isaac Newton Chair in Theoretical Physics
Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics
Research Faculty
Perimeter Research Chair
Office of Executive Leadership
Areas of research:
Quantum Fields and Strings
(519) 569-7600 x8531

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 connections between quantum gravity and quantum information theory.

  • Executive Director, Theoretical Physics, Perimeter Institute, 2019-present
  • Distinguished Visiting Scholar, Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara, 2017
  • Acting Director, Perimeter Institute, 2017
  • Acting Director, Perimeter Institute, 2015
  • Faculty Chair, Perimeter Institute, 2010-2018
  • Adjunct Professor, Department of Physics, University of Waterloo, 2008-2026
  • 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
  • Visiting Physicist, Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara, 2004
  • 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
  • Senior Faculty, Perimeter Institute, 2001-present
  • 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
  • CAP Fellow, Canadian Association of Physicists, 2024
  • Ranked Among Best Scientists for 2024, Research.com, 2024
  • 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
  • Distinguished Alumni Award, University of Waterloo, 2018
  • 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
  • Elected Fellow, Royal Society of Canada, 2006
  • Prize in Theoretical and Mathematical Physics, CAP-CRM, 2005
  • Herzberg Medal, Canadian Association of Physicists, 1999
  • Myers, R., & Ruan, S. -M. (2024). Complexity Equals (Almost) Anything. In Gravity, Strings and Fields: A Conference in Honour of Gordon Semenoff. Montreal. Retrieved from arxiv:2403.17475
  • 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:2404.15400v3
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • Scanning New Horizons: Gravity & Holography, International Centre for Theoretical Physics, Trieste, Italy, 2024/05/28
  • Holographic Scattering & Non-Minimal RT Surfaces, International School for Advanced Studies SISSA, Trieste, Italy; Trieste, Italy, 2024/05/05
  • "Complexity = (almost) anything", KITP UC Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, United States, 2024/02/11
  • Entanglement, Soft Modes & Celestial Holography, Simons Celestial Holography Collaboration Kick-off Meeting, Harvard University, Cambridge, United States, 2023/10/14
  • Why We Explore?, Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY, Hamburg, Germany, 2023/09/28
  • Complexity = (Almost) Anythnig, Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY, Hamburg, Germany, 2023/09/25
  • "Complexity = (almost) anything", Yukawa Institute for Theoretical Physics (YITP), Kyoto, Japan, 2023/09/12
  • Complexity = (almost) anything, It from Qubit 2023, 2023/08/01, PIRSA:23080005
  • 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
  • Complexity = Anything, APS April Meeting 2023 Minneapolis, Minnesota (Apr 15-18), American Physical Society, College Park, United States, 2023/04/15
  • Complexity = Anything, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg; Am Hubland, Würzburg, 97074, Germany, 2023/03/27
  • Complexity Equals Anything, 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, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands, 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, University of Oxford, UK (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, 2021/11/22
  • Complexity, Holography & Quantum Field Theory, Ben Gurion University (online), 2021/11/15