Pierre Savard



Canada Research Chair in Experimental High Energy Physics

Tier 1 - 2018-01-01
Renewed: 2025-07-01
University of Toronto
Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council

416-978-0764
pierre.savard@utoronto.ca

Research involves


Conducting experimental, high-energy physics research and technology development to understand the Higgs boson—the last of the elementary subatomic particles to be discovered.

Research relevance


This research will provide evidence and confirmation of theories about the origin of the universe and spark entirely new questions.

Research Summary


The Higgs boson is a fundamental particle that helps explain why matter has mass. Its discovery in 2012 confirmed a key part of the Standard Model of particle physics, but many questions remain. As Canada Research Chair in Experimental High Energy Physics, Dr. Pierre Savard is trying to answer these questions by studying how the Higgs boson behaves and whether it holds clues to new physics beyond current theories.

Using data from the ATLAS experiment—an international collaboration at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) Large Hadron Collider that studies high-energy particle collisions—Savard and his research team are examining how the Higgs boson interacts with other particles. They are also using advanced data analysis and artificial intelligence tools to search for subtle deviations from the Standard Model using a framework in physics known as effective field theory. Their work could reveal new phenomena that reshape our understanding of matter, energy and the universe.