Dunlap Institute Postdoctoral Fellow invited to the 75th Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting

Dr. Tanveer Karim stands in front of a screen displaying his research. He is wearing a blue shirt and has his hand up as he explains his research. The screen behind him shows a colourful diagram of the distribution of galaxies in the universe. — Dunlap Fellow Dr. Tanveer Karim presents his talk “Isolating Dark Energy: How to Measure the Universe When Galaxies Get in the Way”, based on his ongoing work at the Dunlap Institute, at this year’s Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting. Credit: Christian Flemming/Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings

by Ilana MacDonald

At the beginning of June, Dr. Tanveer Karim, Dunlap Postdoctoral Fellow from the University of Toronto, was among 6 Canadian scientists selected to attend the Lindau Nobel Meeting. The annual scientific conference is held in Lindau, Bavaria, Germany, and this year welcomed over 650 young scientists from around the world, as well as 70 Nobel Laureates.

In addition to attending the prestigious event, Karim was invited to speak on his ongoing work at the Dunlap Institute for Astronomy & Astrophysics. He presented a talk entitled “Isolating Dark Energy: How to Measure the Universe When Galaxies Get in the Way”, which outlined his work involving giant galaxy surveys and how he uses them to build and test models of the Universe.

“It was truly a once in a lifetime to be in the presence of so many wonderful peers and Nobel Laureates,” said Karim. “I got inspired to pursue new research directions thanks to the insightful conversations, and especially appreciated discussions with fellow scientists from Canada across various disciplines.”

A group of seven people smiling stand behind a white table, looking at the camera. All are young scientists, except Art MacDonald, who is in the center-front of the group. — The six invited young Canadian Scientists stand with Nobel Laureate Arthur B. McDonald. Karim stands to the far right. Credit: Christian Flemming/Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings

The aim of the meeting is to bring together Nobel laureates and young scientists to foster scientific exchange between different generations, cultures and disciplines. This year marked the 75th anniversary of the Lindau Nobel Meetings, which were first held in 1951 with the purpose of rebuilding trust through dialogue and knowledge after World War II. Participants are invited to exchange ideas, discuss projects, and build international networks.

Canadian Nobel Laureates Arthur B. McDonald and Donna Strickland were among the attendees. McDonald won the Nobel Prize in 2015 for the discovery of neutrino oscillations and demonstrating that neutrinos have mass, while Strickland won the Prize in 2018 for the practical implementation of chirped pulse amplification.