A Bristol based mathematician has won an international ‘Breakthrough’ award in recognition of her pioneering research.

Tennis superstar Venus Williams and actress Zoe Saldaña presented Dr Laura Monk, a Lecturer in Mathematics at the University of Bristol, with one of the 2024 Breakthrough Prizes, dubbed the ‘Oscars of Science’ at the glittering awards ceremony in the Academy Museum of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in Los Angeles.

Dr Monk, who has an eight-month-old daughter, said:

Winning this award was one of the proudest moments of my whole life, second to the birth of Lily. I’m also so grateful to my husband Alexei, who is looking after our baby while I enjoy this amazing experience which is beyond my wildest dreams.

Business titans Bill Gates and Elon Musk, along with music megastars including Lizzo and Katy Perry, rubbed shoulders with the winners on the red carpet.

Dr Monk said:

The whole occasion was hugely impressive and I certainly didn’t expect to meet so many A-list celebrities. It was quite a surreal experience when such famous people approach you and ask questions about what you do.

Dr Monk won the Maryam Mirzakhani New Frontiers Prize for her research in spectral geometry, an area of maths studying the relationship between the vibrational modes of surfaces and their geometry.

Her award is especially fitting, as it was created in honour of pioneering Iranian mathematician Maryam Mirzakhani, also a leading expert in this field, who died of breast cancer aged 40 in 2017.

Dr Monk said:

Maryam Mirzakhani has been a big inspiration for me and my PhD was inspired by her amazing work. Sadly, we never had the chance to meet but she exchanged emails with my advisor Nalini Anantharaman asking questions, which we have since answered. That’s such a special feeling.

The Breakthrough Prize celebrates research achievements of the world’s top scientists, awarding more than $15 million in prizes annually, including $50,000 for the Maryam Mirzakhani New Frontiers Prize.

Dr Monk said:

I was lost for words when I got the call saying I had won. The money is helping us to buy a house and we feel incredibly thankful.

Dr Monk’s current research aims to provide a mathematical justification for groundbreaking theories developed in theoretical physics at the University of Bristol during the 1980s.

Professor Evelyn Welch, Vice-Chancellor and President at the University of Bristol, said:

Many congratulations to Laura and all the other hugely talented researchers who have won an award, as well as those who may have supported her on this impressive journey. Laura is a wonderful inspiration to fellow female mathematicians and scientists, as well as for younger generations who might be considering studying at the University.