| Birth Name: | Christopher Michael Hull |
| Fields: | Theoretical physics |
| Workplaces: | Imperial College London |
| Education: | Haberdashers' Aske's Boys' School |
| Alma Mater: | University of Cambridge (BA, PhD) |
| Thesis Title: | The structure and stability of the vacua of supergravity |
| Thesis Url: | http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.350108 |
| Thesis Year: | 1983 |
| Doctoral Advisor: | Gary Gibbons |
| Awards: | Dirac Medal (IOP) (2003) Royal Society Wolfson Research Merit Award (2002) |
| Spouses: | )--> |
| Partners: | )--> |
Christopher Michael Hull (born 1957) [1] is a professor of theoretical physics at Imperial College London.[2] Hull is known for his work on string theory, M-theory, and generalized complex structures.[3] Edward Witten drew partially from Hull's work for his development of M-theory.[4]
Hull was educated at Haberdashers' Aske's Boys' School and the University of Cambridge where he was a student of King's College, Cambridge and awarded a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1979 followed by a PhD in 1983 for research supervised by Gary Gibbons.[5]
Hull conducts research into quantum gravity, a field that aims to discover a unifying theory of quantum theory and general relativity.[1] His particular contributions have been made to superstring theory, which models particles and forces as vibrations of 'supersymmetric strings', and supergravity, which combines supersymmetry with general relativity.[1]
Many mathematical challenges facing quantum gravity are being met through Hull's efforts to bring in, and extend, techniques from geometry and field theory.[1] His work laid the foundations of M-theory, which brings together apparently competing theories.[1] Overall success in quantum gravity would revolutionise our understanding of the fundamental nature of matter and the origins of, and evolution, of our Universe.[1]
He leads a major research programme in the Department of Physics at Imperial College London, with investigations that include extended geometries, flux geometries and holographic structures.[1]
Hull was awarded a Royal Society Wolfson Research Merit Award in 2002 and the Paul Dirac Medal and Prize by the Institute of Physics in 2003. He was awarded a Science and Engineering Research Council (SERC) Advanced Research fellowship in 1987 and an Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) Senior Research Fellowship in 1996. He is also a Fellow of the Institute of Physics (FInstP).[6]