Stella Schindler

I am a theoretical particle physicist investigating the fundamental nature of the matter all around us. My research explores the dynamic inner structure of the proton, which is filled with a sea of smaller particles called quarks and gluons zipping around. I also explore what other phases of quark-gluon matter form at extreme temperatures and pressures. 

In particular, I work to strengthen our toolbox for investigating quantum chromodynamics (QCD), the theory of quarks, gluons, and the strong force that binds them into hadrons (composite particles like the proton). I develop and utilize a wide range of analytic and numerical tools to map out hadron structure and QCD phase structure, including effective field theory (EFT), non-Hermitian and PT-symmetric physics, perturbative methods, and lattice gauge theory. As a side pursuit, I also work on optics.

Currently, I am a Hoffman Fellow at Los Alamos National Laboratory. There, my advisor is Chris Lee. I earned my Ph.D. at MIT as a National Science Foundation fellow and five-year MIT Physics Department fellow, advised by Iain Stewart. My thesis was recognized with the Sakurai Dissertation Award from the American Physical Society. I received my A.M. and A.B. at Washington University in St. Louis as a full-ride Compton Fellow, advised by Carl Bender.