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Félix Cormier
Research topic
Search for long-lived particles with the ATLAS Experiment
Faculty
Research supervisor(s)
Home Town
Montréal
Country
Canada
Selected Award(s)
Why did you decide to pursue a graduate degree?
Throughout my schooling, I have always been driven by my curiosity and passion for experimentation. A graduate degree in physics combines these two by allowing me to do research at the foremost frontier of human knowledge.
Why did you decide to study at UBC?
I was drawn to the strong research team in the UBC group of the ATLAS experiment, as well as to the beautiful province of British Columbia which I get to enjoy whenever I am not working!
What is it specifically, that your program offers, that attracted you?
What drew me to this program was an excellent faculty, which I have learned from throughout my classes at UBC, teaching opportunities to allow me to strengthen my skills in that area, and finally support to do the kind of research I want to do.
What was the best surprise about UBC or life in Vancouver?
I'm amazed at how green everything is! From the tree-filled UBC campus to the beautiful mountains and forests around Vancouver, there is no time when I am not surrounded by nature.
What drew me to UBC and this program was the excellent faculty, which I have learned from throughout my classes at UBC, as well as teaching opportunities to allow me to strengthen my skills.
What aspects of your life or career before now have best prepared you for your UBC graduate program?
One of the greatest influences on my outlook in life has been my extensive travels - I lived in 4 countries before I turned 12! Working in a huge collaboration like the ATLAS experiment, and in an international University such as UBC, I feel like experiencing different cultures and points of view have prepared me greatly for this environment.
What advice do you have for new graduate students?
Always ask questions, and also make sure to always take time for yourself - work-life balance is important!
Learn more about Félix's research
I am part of a research group which takes data from the ATLAS detector, which is at the Large Hadron Collider in Geneva, Switzerland, to look for theorized long-lived particles. These particles are challenging to look for as they require novel methods for using our detector. My research thus combines the forefront of particle physics, advanced detectors, and machine learning to make an awesome project. Finding hints of this particle could revolutionize the field of particle physics!