The John C. Polanyi Award is presented for excellence by a scientist carrying out research in Canada in physical, theoretical or computational chemistry or chemical physics.
Alán Aspuru-Guzik’s research lies at the interface of computer science with chemistry and physics. He works in the integration of robotics, machine learning and high-throughput quantum chemistry for the development of materials acceleration platforms. These “self-driving laboratories¨ promise to accelerate the rate of scientific discovery, with applications to clean energy and optoelectronic materials. Alán also develops quantum computer algorithms for quantum machine learning and has pioneered quantum algorithms for the simulation of matter. Alán is jointly appointed as Professor of Chemistry and Computer Science at the University of Toronto, as well as faculty member of the Vector Institute for Artificial Intelligence.
Previously, full professor at Harvard University where he started his career in 2006. He is currently the Canada 150 Research Chair in Quantum Chemistry, CIFAR AI Chair at the Vector Institute and co-founder of Zapata Computing and Kebotix, two early-stage ventures in quantum computing and self-driving laboratories, respectively.