The Professoriate
Distinguished Professor Gaven MartinFRSNZ- Research Interests:
- Mathematics
- Non-linear analysis, elliptic partial differential equations, Beltrami systems and geometric function theory, particularly as it interacts with conformal geometry, quasiconformal mappings and their generalisations. Applications in non-linear elasticity and materials science. Also low dimensional topology and geometry, particularly hyperbolic geometry, discrete groups and their associated universal constants, such as minimal co-volume, and relations between arithmetic and geometry.
Professor Paul RaineyFRSNZ- Research Interests:
- Ecology and Evolution.
- Evolutionary processes particularly, but not exclusively, evolution by natural selection. Our research is both theoretical and empirical and makes use of microbial populations in order to observe and dissect evolution in real time. A growing fascination is the evolutionary origins of multicellularity. Other interests include the ecological significance of diversity in natural microbial populations; evolutionary processes determining patterns of diversity in space and time; and the genetics and fitness consequences of traits that enhance ecological performance in populations of plant-colonizing bacteria.
Professor Peter SchwerdtfegerFRSNZ- Research Interests:
- Theoretical Chemistry and Physics.
- Aspects of quantum chemistry and physics focused toward fundamental issues. Current research areas include: parity-violation in chiral molecules, relativistic effects, the chemistry of heavy and superheavy elements, simulation of metallic clusters, quantum-electrodynamic effects in atoms and molecules, solid state chemistry and physics including high-pressure materials, surface science, chemical evolution theory and the mathematical and philosophical aspects of quantum theory.
Visiting Professor Victor FlambaumFAA- Research interests:
- Physics
- Challenging problems in atomic, nuclear, elementary particle, solid state physics and astrophysics, in particular violation of the fundamental symmetries (parity, time invariance), test of the theories of Grand Unification of elementary particles and their interactions, search for spatial and temporal variation of the fundamental constants in the Universe from the Big Bang to the present time (such variation is predicted by theories unifying gravity with other interactions), many-body theory and high-precision atomic calculations, quantum chaos and statistical theory, high-temperature superconductivity and conductance quantisation.