Professor Peter Goadsby, a neurologist and neuroscientist, has been appointed as Senior Associate to the President and Founding Dean of KAUST's new Division of Biomedical Sciences. He will lead the establishment of the university's fourth academic division, focusing on Biomedical Sciences, and advance the neuroscience department. Goadsby's research identified CGRP as a central driver of migraine, leading to new medicines and earning him the 2021 Brain Prize. Why it matters: This appointment strengthens KAUST's and Saudi Arabia's capacity to translate research into healthcare solutions and supports the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 goals in health innovation.
KAUST Professor of Applied Mathematics and Computational Science, Dr. Peter Markowich, has been named a 2020 Fellow to the European Academy of Sciences. This recognizes his work in the mathematical and numerical analysis of partial differential equations. Markowich joined KAUST in 2011 and has contributed to over 270 projects worldwide. Why it matters: This honor brings recognition to KAUST's faculty and highlights the university's contribution to advanced mathematical research with applications across science and engineering.
KAUST Professor Peter Richtárik received a Distinguished Speaker Award at the Sixth International Conference on Continuous Optimization (ICCOPT 2019) in Berlin. Richtárik's lecture series, totaling six hours, focused on stochastic gradient descent (SGD) methods, drawing from recent research by his KAUST group. He highlighted key principles and new variants of SGD, the key method for training modern machine learning models. Why it matters: This award recognizes KAUST's contribution to fundamental machine learning optimization, which is critical for advancing AI in the region.
Peter Richtárik, an associate professor of computer science and mathematics, joined KAUST in February 2017. He is affiliated with the Visual Computing Center and the Extreme Computing Research Center at KAUST. Richtárik's research combines optimization and machine learning, and he values the support KAUST provides to his students, including funding for travel and conference attendance. Why it matters: This highlights KAUST's commitment to attracting and supporting leading researchers in AI and related fields, fostering innovation and talent development in the region.
KAUST Professor Peter Markowich discusses the role of mathematics in football, describing a match as a random process with a drift. The randomness stems from player conditions, referee decisions, weather, and more, while the drift represents the higher probability of the better team winning. He notes that the complexity arising from 11 players on each side increases the randomness compared to sports like tennis. Why it matters: This perspective highlights the interplay of chance and skill in sports, offering a mathematical lens for understanding game dynamics.
KAUST alumnus Jagdish Chandra Vyas (Ph.D. '17) received a Student Presentation Award at the Seismological Society of America (SSA) Annual Meeting for his poster "Mach Wave Coherence in the Presence of Source and Medium Heterogeneity." Vyas's Ph.D. research at KAUST, under the direction of Professor Martin Mai, focused on analyzing the effects of rupture complexity and heterogeneities in Earth structure on near-source ground motions. He is currently a postdoctoral scholar at the University of Canterbury, New Zealand. Why it matters: This award recognizes the high-caliber research being conducted at KAUST and its impact on the field of seismology.
KAUST Professor Peter Markowich has been elected a Foreign Member of Italy’s Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei, a scientific institution founded in 1603. Markowich is recognized for his contributions to applied mathematics and computational sciences, with applications spanning physics, AI, biology, and engineering. He has been a distinguished professor at KAUST since 2011 and has over 200 publications. Why it matters: This recognition highlights KAUST's role in fostering impactful research and elevating Saudi Arabia's position in the global scientific community.
KAUST's Plant Science Program hosted a two-day workshop for early-career researchers, focusing on leadership and career development. The workshop, facilitated by Dr. Paul Dalby, covered grant proposal writing, leadership skills, and career planning. Participants also learned about project management, budget development, and attracting funding from various sources. Why it matters: Such programs enhance the skills of researchers at KAUST, preparing them for leadership roles in academia and industry, and fostering a stronger research ecosystem in Saudi Arabia.