Mar 17 2009
Dr. Paul Corkum, a professor in the Department of Physics at the University of Ottawa and attosecond science researcher at the National Research Council Canada (NRC), is this year's winner of Canada's most prestigious science prize.
The Gerhard Herzberg Canada Gold Medal for Science and Engineering is the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada’s (NSERC) highest honour and includes $1 million in research funding.
Dr. Corkum is the third University of Ottawa professor and second NRC researcher to receive the honour since its inception in 1991.
“As one of Canada’s top research-intensive universities, we are extremely pleased to celebrate the outstanding achievements of Dr. Paul Corkum today,” said Allan Rock, President of the University of Ottawa. “It is an honour to have him as part of our leading research and academic team.”
Dr. Corkum’s selection as gold medalist stems from his innovative research in the cutting-edge field of attosecond science.
The ultimate goal of his work is to control the movement of electrons as they speed along inside molecules, which promises breakthrough applications in fields ranging from quantum computing to diagnostic medicine.
Dr. Corkum’s work as an experimental physicist has already garnered several honours and prizes, including the Order of Canada, and a Killam Prize and Polanyi Award for outstanding achievement in the field of natural sciences.
The NSERC Herzberg Medal is awarded annually to an individual who has demonstrated sustained excellence and influence in research, for a body of work conducted in Canada, having led to significant advances in the natural sciences or engineering.