Dr. David Poland

Biography

Professor Poland received his B.S. in Physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2004 and went on to receive his Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley in 2008. His research has focused on the Standard Model of particle physics, supersymmetry, and dark matter. He began studying conformal field theories and has worked as a Postdoctoral Fellow at Harvard University from 2008 to 2011. Subsequently, he joined the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton from 2011 to 2012. He joined the faculty at Yale University in 2012 and has held positions as a Junior Visiting Professor at the Institute for Advanced Study and as a Visiting Associate in Theoretical Physics at Caltech. His research aims to develop new nonperturbative methods in quantum field theory with applications in particle physics, condensed matter physics, and quantum gravity. He primarily focuses on developing numerical and analytical approaches to conformal field theories, employing a concept known as the 'bootstrap' to make predictions about physical observables. This approach led to precise predictions for critical exponents in a variety of physical systems, including water, magnets, and superfluid helium. The bootstrap method also maps the space of conformal field theories to uncover nonperturbative properties and provides insights into the Standard Model of physics and condensed matter systems.

Research Interests

Experience

Awards