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Phiala Shanahan is an Associate Professor in the Physics Department at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). She focuses her research on theoretical nuclear and particle physics, examining fundamental interactions in nature. Her work especially explores the structure and interactions of hadrons and nuclei, particularly how these are influenced by quark-gluon degrees of freedom as encoded in the Standard Model of particle physics. Recently, she has concentrated on the role of gluons as force carriers in strong interactions as described by Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD). Her innovative computational methods apply high-performance supercomputing and machine learning techniques to achieve insights into gluon structure in light nuclei and make predictions for new experimental tests at the Jefferson National Accelerator Facility, especially the planned Electron-Ion Collider. With a solid academic background rooted in Adelaide, Australia, where she completed her BSc and PhD, she joined the MIT faculty in July 2018. Prior to this, she had a postdoctoral association at MIT and served as an Assistant Professor at the College of William & Mary.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology • Cambridge, MA
Conducted research in theoretical nuclear and particle physics.
College of William & Mary • Williamsburg, VA
Held a joint position while continuing research.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology • Cambridge, MA
Focused on nuclear and particle physics research.