Irene Melgarejo Lermas | Applied Mathematics | Faculty of Mathematics Graduate Brochure

$Photo of Irene Melgarejo Lermas$ Condensing the complexities of quantum field theory into a three-minute presentation is a formidable task, but Irene Melgarejo Lermas rose to the challenge to win the Three-Minute Thesis (3MT) competition. She used a puzzle analogy to explain her research in quantum field theory, which lies at the intersection of quantum mechanics and the theory of relativity. “Essentially, the detectors we use to study the quantum field can only give us small, scrambled pieces of the puzzle, so we turn to machine learning to see the bigger picture,” she explained.

As she completes her thesis, Irene has her sights set on another graduate degree from Waterloo. “I plan to continue focusing on machine learning now that I’ve seen its practical applications,” she shares. “Waterloo provides an ideal environment to study quantum computing. This is where new ideas begin.”