My research is in the field of theoretical high energy physics - I study how some of the fundamental particles of nature interact, specifically how the strong interaction of particle physics binds together quarks to form hadrons: mesons, containing a quark and an antiquark, and baryons, like protons and neutrons, containing three quarks. Hadrons are studied at a host of experiments around the world and, although much of what has been found conforms to expectations, there have been a number of puzzling observations that await explanation. I use a variety of theoretical tools to investigate the properties of hadrons and address some of these puzzles. My recent focus has been on using lattice QCD methods where we formulate the theory so that quantities can be calculated numerically using powerful computers.
I studied Natural Sciences in Cambridge before doing a D.Phil. in Theoretical Physics at Oxford. After postdoctoral positions at Jefferson Lab in the USA and Trinity College Dublin, I returned to Cambridge as a University Lecturer in the High Energy Physics group of the Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics.
