Dr. Neil Turok earned his PhD at Imperial College. After a postdoctoral fellowship in Santa Barbara, he was appointed Associate Scientist at Fermilab before moving to Princeton University where he became full Professor of Physics in 1994. In 1997 he was appointed to the Chair of Mathematical Physics at Cambridge University. In October, 2008, he moved to the Perimeter Institute as its new Director. Dr. Turok has worked in a number of areas of theoretical physics and cosmology, focusing on developing fundamental theories and new observational tests. Born in South Africa, in 2003, Dr. Turok founded the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences. Based in Cape Town, this postgraduate educational centre supports the development of mathematics and science across the African continent. For this work and for his contributions to theoretical physics, in 2008 Dr. Turok was awarded a TED Prize and a “Most Innovative People” award at the World Summit on Innovation and Entrepreneurship.