Dr. Miranda Louwerse’s research was interdisciplinary in nature, with her PhD in Chemistry but under the supervision of Dr. David Sivak in the Department of Physics. Louwerse’s research resulted in her creating a novel theory that provides a quantitative perspective on the concept of the “reaction coordinate” that is central to chemical reaction theory.

As her research spanned disparate fields, Louwerse took the lead on her own doctoral educational journey. With guidance from her supervisor, Louwerse independently decided what areas she needed to learn, located and quickly absorbed relevant theory and computational methodology, created robust software to automate the calculation of important quantities, developed sample calculations in model systems, and drew independent conclusions about the meaning of her results and the implications for future directions. This led to her developing new theoretical concepts to establish fundamental connections between the fields of chemistry and physics.

Louwerse was an effective communicator of her research, winning poster prizes, taking the lead in multiple journal publications, popular-science articles and podcasts. She also received high praise during all levels of her dissertation communication and made sure to support Sivak’s research lab members as well.

Louwerse’s research at SFU was supported by NSERC Canada Graduate Scholarships at both the master’s and doctoral level.

Of supervising Louwerse, Sivak says, “Miranda was a path-breaking graduate student [and] made everyone in my research group better, with incisive questions during group meeting and deep dives with group members to resolve thorny problems.”

“I’m honoured to receive this award from SFU because I’m really proud of my PhD research and how it helped me grow both scientifically and personally,” says Louwerse.

“Being allowed to study at the interface of chemistry and physics and having support from both departments was invaluable. My supervisor David and the rest of the Sivak group were critical to my educational journey: they taught me physics, a myriad of mathematical tools and new ways of approaching and solving problems and cemented in me a strong physical intuition essential to solving chemistry problems. I particularly thank David for creating an environment where I could gain independence as a researcher and for his emphasis on clear scientific communication, both skills that have become ingrained in me as I move forwards in my career.”

Louwerse is currently employed as a Data Scientist at AbCellera Biologics in Vancouver, BC, where she is pursuing a long-standing interest in drug discovery.