Jesse Thaler named director of the Laboratory for Nuclear Science
The professor of physics and inaugural director of the NSF AI Institute for Artificial Intelligence and Fundamental Interactions will lead LNS and continue his research in particle physics. Jesse Thaler has been named director of the MIT Laboratory for Nuclear Science. Thaler is a theoretical particle physicist who combines techniques from quantum field theory and machine learning to address outstanding questions in fundamental physics.
Key Takeaways
- Keller | School of Science Publication Date : July 7, 2026 Press Inquiries Press Contact : Julia C.
edu ; (cell) School of Science : Jesse Thaler combines techniques from quantum field theory and machine learning to address outstanding questions in fundamental physics.
- "The collaborative nature of his research programs will serve the Laboratory for Nuclear Science as science enters a new era of AI-driven discovery.
" Thaler is the William and Emma Rogers Professor of Physics in the MIT Center for Theoretical Physics - a Leinweber Institute (CTP-LI).
- "In my own field of particle physics, researchers are developing cutting-edge AI algorithms to handle the data deluge from collider experiments and to perform heroic theoretical calculations.
This work has direct implications for discovering new physics, but the algorithms themselves turn out to be valuable well beyond our field," says Thaler.
- IAIFI also created dedicated postdoctoral fellowships to give early-career researchers the freedom to pursue interdisciplinary work.
"Giving young scientists space to build connections across domains, universities, and career stages has been transformative within IAIFI," says Thaler, who hopes to bring this type of framework to LNS.
- Thaler received his PhD in physics from Harvard University in 2006, and his BS in math/physics from Brown University in 2002.
Jesse Thaler has been named director of the MIT Laboratory for Nuclear Science. Thaler is a theoretical particle physicist who combines techniques from quantum field theory and machine learning to address outstanding questions in fundamental physics. The professor of physics and inaugural director of the NSF AI Institute for Artificial Intelligence and Fundamental Interactions will lead LNS and continue his research in particle physics.
Keller | School of Science Publication Date : July 7, 2026 Press Inquiries Press Contact : Julia C. edu ; (cell) School of Science : Jesse Thaler combines techniques from quantum field theory and machine learning to address outstanding questions in fundamental physics. Credits : Photo: Jared Charney Previous image Next image Professor Jesse Thaler has been named director of the MIT Laboratory for Nuclear Science (LNS), effective Aug.
He succeeds Professor Bolek Wyslouch, who directed LNS for the past decade. Thaler is a theoretical particle physicist who combines techniques from quantum field theory and machine learning to address outstanding questions in fundamental physics. "In his research, Jesse has done pioneering work on particle jets at the Large Hadronic Collider and is a leader in combining AI and machine learning with fundamental particle physics," says Nergis Mavalvala, dean of the MIT School of Science and the Curtis and Kathleen Marble Professor of Astrophysics.
For more details please read the original article at MIT News AI.
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