Published:
Dr Mehul Malik from the School of Engineering and Physical Sciences has been awarded the Royal Society of Edinburgh Early Career Medal in Physical, Engineering & Informatic Sciences, which is the Sir Thomas Makdougall Brisbane Medal, for the session 2021-22.
Sir Thomas Makdougall Brisbane (1773 – 1860) was the fourth President of the RSE and held office for twenty-eight years, from 1832 to 1860. He was a British soldier, colonial Governor and astronomer. The RSE Early Career Medal named after Sir Brisbane has been awarded by the RSE since 1859 and includes esteemed winners such as Nobel Laureate Max Born.
Dr Malik is an Associate Professor of Physics at Heriot-Watt and leads the Beyond Binary Quantum Information Research Group (BBQ Lab) in the Institute for Photonic and Quantum Science (IPAQS) at Heriot-Watt. He was awarded the RSE Medal for his work in pushing the boundaries of our understanding of quantum mechanics and its use in modern technologies such as quantum cryptography and communications. He has made world-leading contributions to the understanding of high-dimensional entanglement and the development of techniques for quantum communications and cryptography that are currently adopted in labs worldwide.
He said of his achievement: “I was pleasantly surprised and honoured to receive the RSE Sir Thomas Makdougall Brisbane Medal. It is a reflection not only of my work in the field of Quantum Physics, but of the excellent team of young scientists working in my research group in IPAQS. It is also a testament to the fantastic research environment at Heriot-Watt University that enables early career researchers like me to excel.”
This award meets with the Society’s strategic objective of increasing public understanding of science and the arts and humanities. The Early Career Medal-winners are required to have a Scottish connection but can be based anywhere in the world.
For more information and past winners visit - https://www.rse.org.uk/awards/early-career-medals/