James Harrison

Course: iPhD in Next Generation Computational Modelling

PhD student James Harrison is hoping that his PhD research could play an important future role in interpreting the results of particle experiments from key establishments such as CERN.

My research

“The standard of research in both theoretical physics and computational modelling at Southampton is among the best in the UK, and the Lattice Field Theory Group is one of the leading such research groups in the country.

“The first year of my iPhD was a taught year in computational modelling and aimed to give me a broad overview of computational techniques used in a wide range of research disciplines.

"This gave me a valuable insight into the place my research sits within the wider research community.

“The aim of my research is to simulate quark-gluon interactions in order to make more accurate theoretical predictions in particle physics. These predictions are very important for interpreting the results of particle experiments such as those from the Large Hadron Collider, at CERN, in Switzerland.”

Clubs and work placements

“The Students’ Union at Southampton is very active and provides many opportunities to get involved with extra-curricular activities and student societies.

“The highlights of my Southampton experience so far have been in student societies. I have been involved in several societies including the Concert Band and the University gospel choir Jazzmanix. These have been a lot of fun and I have made many friends. In particular, the European tours each year have been a fantastic experience.

“I also did a summer placement at the Met office while I was an undergraduate which gave me valuable experience of collaborating with others in a professional environment including effectively communicating my work through reports and presentations.”

The future

“My University experience so far has shown me that I want to continue learning new things so in the future I would love to continue doing research.

“In the long term I would like a career in research although I am not sure whether I want to go into industry or remain in academia.”