It has been announced that Professor Elham Kashefi, who leads the Hub’s work on verification, validation and benchmarking has been appointed as Chief Scientist for the National Quantum Computing Centre (NQCC), where she will spend 30% of her time on secondment.
Within the National Quantum Technologies Programme, the Hub works closely in partnership with the NQCC. Our shared aim is to grow the UK quantum computing ecosystem, and to ensure the UK has the supply chain, user base and skills to exploit the transformative capabilities that quantum computing will bring for the benefit of the nation. NQCC Director, Dr Michael Cuthbert said, “It is vital the NQCC links into the research community and Elham’s broad experience and extended collaboration network supports this and further connects the NQCC to the work of QCS Hub and to computer science more broadly”
Elham is Professor of Quantum Computing at the School of Informatics, University of Edinburgh, and Directeur de recherche au CNRS at LIP6 Sorbonne Universite. She co- founded the fields of quantum cloud computing and quantum computing verification, and has pioneered a trans-disciplinary interaction of hybrid quantum-classical solutions from theoretical investigation all the way to actual experimental and industrial commercialisation. She has been awarded several UK, EU and US grants and fellowships for her works in developing applications for quantum computing and communication. She currently leads the Quantum Informatics research group at Edinburgh, one of the largest global quantum software teams (with 40+ members).
This role is part of a strategic package funded by EPSRC. It will allow Kashefi and her team in Quantum Informatics at Edinburgh to undertake an ambitious Quantum Advantage Pathfinder mission as an inaugural project to turn industry challenges into quantum research outcomes. These endeavours will expand vertically the pillars of research in the mathematical foundations of quantum information, covering algorithms, architectures, verification and error mitigation, whilst connecting this wealth of knowledge horizontally through to feasibility studies that address challenges coming from end users.
Professor Kashefi said, “I am thrilled and honoured to join the NQCC leadership team to establish the NQCC Software Lab together with my colleagues at Edinburgh and elsewhere in UK to further quantum software, algorithms, and applications, with specific attention to opportunities in training and research for quantum advantage, removing barriers to successful adoption.”