Perimeter Institute creates new $8M theoretical physics chair

Asimina Arvanitakiis now the first woman to hold a research chair at the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics, after a new joint chair was announced Thursday in partnership with the Stavros Niarchos Foundation.

The $8 million Stavros Niarchos Foundation Aristrachus Chair in Theoretical Physics is an $8 million partnership with the foundation and PI and will help build and grow research and training ties between the institute and Greece, according to a release.

Arvanitaki, who joined PI in 2014, previously worked as a research associateat the Stanford Institute for Theoretical Physics.Her research focuses on what is called the "precision frontier" of theoretical physics, which involves taking highly precise measurements of tiny differences in particles and particle interactions.

Aristarchus, for whom the chair is named, is theancient Greek astronomer who figured out that the Earth revolves around the sun.

The Stavros Niarchos Foundation is a philanthropic organization named for the Greek shipping magnate which has made grant commitments of $1.8 billion around the globe since 1996, according to the release.