FRANK SAUERESSIG

Dr. Frank Saueressig

Associate Professor, chair of Governing Board
String Theory, Quantum Gravity

I am interested in…

What are you working on?

My research focuses on the unification of gravity with the laws of quantum mechanics – a research area that is commonly called “quantum gravity”. More concretely, I am interested in understanding whether gravity can be formulated consistently as a relativistic quantum field theory. In the last few years there has been substantial progress in this direction, indicating that this could be a phenomenologically viable path towards unifying gravity with the other known forces of nature within the same theoretical framework. Naturally, my group is then also interested in understanding potential observable consequences, e.g., by studying quantum corrections to black holes, cosmology, and implications at the level of the standard model of particle physics.

What does the DRSTP mean for you?

The Netherlands are a country with an exceptionally strong theoretical physics community. For me the DRSTP is an umbrella which brings this community together on a regular basis, motivating new collaborations between researchers at different institutions.

What interests do you have apart from your research?

I have two kids which are still very young. So, I am trying to spend time with them. This also opened the door to new outreach activities, sharing the excitement about science and mathematics with really young children where this is not a “natural path to explore” due to their family situation.