Dr. Anna G. Hughes

Astrophysicist | Quantum Machine Learning Scientist | Outdoor Enthusiast

Yours truly with the Illecillewaet glacier in Glacier National Park.

Growing up, I always had a strong sense of adventure and a deep love and curiosity for the natural world. This led me to study philosophy and physics as a college student - eventually settling on the latter for my career path and the former to guide me to walk with purpose.

As a quantum machine learning scientist, I work on developing novel applications of hybrid quantum/classical machine learning algorithms and other alternative systems, including applications in astrophysics.

My doctoral astrophysics research focused on the millimetre emission of coldest stars in the universe - called ultracool dwarfs - and the implications of detectable stellar magnetic activity and the potential habitability of surrounding planets.

When I’m not working, you can usually find me hiking up the beautiful mountains here in British Columbia in the summer and snowboarding down them in the winter. Outside of my physics research, I am particularly passionate about finding near-term solutions to the climate crisis.