Rowan Thomson
Rowan Thomson is an associate professor and Canada Research Chair in the Department of Physics at Carleton University. Her graduate research was in theoretical high-energy physics at Perimeter Institute and University of Waterloo, and was awarded Waterloo’s Pearson Medal for this ground-breaking research.
Rowan’s post-PhD research develops computational approaches for simulating the interactions of radiation with matter and considers applications in radiotherapy for cancer treatment. In 2011, she was awarded the Polanyi Prize in Physics, and in 2013 she was named a Canada Research Chair in Radiotherapy Physics.
When she is not working to treat cancer with radiotherapy approaches, Rowan enjoys sharing her passion for physics through teaching at undergraduate and graduate levels. She employs various approaches to make technical, mathematical and abstract ideas accessible and interesting for students. In 2012, she was awarded the Excellence in Teaching Award from Carleton’s Faculty of Science and in 2013 received the Carleton University New Faculty Excellence in Teaching Award.