Professor Gilles Brassard OC FRS

Gilles Brassard studies how quantum mechanics can be used to improve our information processing capabilities. Gilles is best known for his fundamental inventions of quantum cryptography and quantum teleportation. His work has elevated quantum information science from what seemed to be a fringe pursuit to an internationally thriving research field.

His other research highlights include his work on amplitude amplification, privacy amplification, entanglement distillation, quantum coin flipping and quantum foundations. From 1991 to 1998, Gilles served as the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Cryptology.

Gilles has received many accolades in recognition of his work, including the Prix Marie-Victorin in 2000, the Gerhard Herzberg Canada Gold Medal in 2009, and the Killam Prize for Natural Sciences in 2011. He has also been elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and the International Association for Cryptologic Research. He has received three doctorates honoris causa, most notably from ETH Zürich, and he was elevated to the rank of Officer of the Order of Canada in 2013.

Professional position

  • Canada Research Chair, Department of Computer Science and Operations Research, University of Montreal

Subject groups

  • Astronomy and physics

    Quantum theory

  • Computer sciences

    Computer science (excl engineering aspects)

Professor Gilles Brassard OC FRS
Elected 2013