Curriculum Vitae

Published

September 11, 2026

Simen Kvaal

Associate Professor of Theoretical Chemistry
Department of Chemistry, University of Oslo

Academic website: Personal website / University of Oslo profile
ORCID: 0000-0002-5118-4546

Research profile

Theoretical and computational quantum chemistry, with emphasis on coupled-cluster theory, density-functional theory, quantum dynamics, and mathematical and numerical analysis of electronic-structure methods. Research at the interface of chemistry, physics, applied mathematics, and quantum computing.

Academic appointments

2024–present — Associate Professor in Theoretical Chemistry
Department of Chemistry, University of Oslo

2015–2024 — Scientific Researcher
Hylleraas Centre for Quantum Molecular Sciences, University of Oslo
(previously the Centre for Theoretical and Computational Chemistry)

2012–2015 — Scientific Researcher
Centre for Theoretical and Computational Chemistry (CTCC), University of Oslo
ERC Advanced Grant project ABACUS, PI: Trygve Helgaker

2010–2011 — Postdoctoral Fellow
Department of Mathematics, Universität Tübingen, Germany
On leave from the University of Oslo. Supervisor: Prof. Christian Lubich

2009–2011 — Postdoctoral Fellow
Centre of Mathematics for Applications, University of Oslo

2008–2009 — Researcher
Centre of Mathematics for Applications, University of Oslo

Earlier professional experience

2006–2007 — Developer/Researcher, Faster Imaging AS (10% part-time)
Image-compression techniques.

2001 and 2002 — Developer, Simula Research Laboratory (summer employment)
Integration of large-scale eigenvalue solvers in Diffpack (C++ finite-element library); scripts for translating large LaTeX documents to HTML.

Education

2009 — PhD, University of Oslo
Centre of Mathematics for Applications / Department of Physics
Thesis: Analysis of many-body methods for quantum dots
Supervisors: Morten Hjorth-Jensen (main), Ragnar Winther (co-supervisor)

2004 — MSc (cand. scient.), University of Oslo
Department of Physics
Thesis: A critical study of the finite difference and finite element methods for the time-dependent Schrödinger equation (Grade A)
Supervisors: Morten Hjorth-Jensen (main), Hans Petter Langtangen (co-supervisor)

Research funding

Year Role Programme / project Funding
2025 Partner RCN Centre for Quantum Technology — Center for Quantum Computing and Applications (QSTAR), leader: Franz Fuchs; project period 2026–2029 NOK 60M (€5.6M)
2022 Co-PI RCN Large Interdisciplinary Researcher Project — Mathematics for quantum computation and many-body theory (QOMBINE) NOK 25M (€2.1M)
2019 PI, with Thomas Bondo Pedersen Centre for Advanced Study — Attosecond Quantum Dynamics Beyond the Born-Oppenheimer Approximation (ATTODYN); academic year 2021/22 plus one-year COVID-19 extension NOK 3.4M (€0.3M)
2018 Collaborator Peder Sather Center for Advanced Study Grant — A posteriori error estimates for coupled-cluster theory USD 22k (€20k)
2015 Collaborator Peder Sather Center for Advanced Study Grant — Advanced Computational Methods for the Quantum Mechanical Many-Body Problem in Physics and Quantum Chemistry USD 25k (€23k)
2014–2021 PI ERC Starting Grant — Bivariational Approximations in Quantum Mechanics and Applications to Quantum Chemistry (BIVAQUM) €1.5M

Research output

TipBibliographical summary — 11 September 2026

41 peer-reviewed journal articles in mathematics, physics, and chemistry
1 published book chapter
6 single-author papers (2008–2023)
1,835 citations · h-index 22

Teaching experience

Course leadership and primary teaching

2025–present — KJM5600/9600, Quantum Chemistry (MSc/PhD level)
Course administrator and lecturer (100% of course), Department of Chemistry, University of Oslo.

2024–present — KJM2601, Quantum Chemistry and Spectroscopy (BSc level)
Course administrator and lecturer (100% of course), Department of Chemistry, University of Oslo.

2015–2017 — FYS-KJM4480, Quantum Mechanics for Many-Particle Systems (MSc/PhD level; 3 semesters)
Course administrator and lecturer (100% of course), Departments of Physics and Chemistry, University of Oslo.

2017 — IN-KJM1900, Introduction to Programming for Chemists
Course administrator and lecturer (50% of course); correction of compulsory assignments, Departments of Informatics and Chemistry, University of Oslo.

International and specialized teaching

2022–present — European Summer School in Quantum Chemistry (ESQC), Sicily
Lecturer on mathematical methods in quantum chemistry (8 hours). Biennial school; head organizer: Trond Saue, University of Toulouse.

2023–present — Annual Hylleraas School
Lecturer electron dynamics, density-functional theory, and practical graphical design.

Earlier university teaching

2005–2006 — INF-MAT3360, Introduction to Partial Differential Equations (2 semesters)
Group tutor; responsible for all student tutoring sessions (4 hours/week) and correction of compulsory assignments, Departments of Informatics and Mathematics, University of Oslo.

2000 — FYS-201, Introduction to Quantum Mechanics (spring semester)
Group tutor; responsible for all student tutoring sessions (4 hours/week), Department of Physics, University of Oslo.

Research supervision and mentoring

Postdoc supervision: 2 as main supervisor PhD supervision: 4 as main supervisor; 4 as co-supervisor (2 currently active).
MSc supervision: 3 as main supervisor; 5 informal co-supervisions during PhD studies.

PhD students and postdoctoral researchers

  • Håkon Richard Fredheim, PhD student (2022–2026) — main supervisor; now consultant, Sopra Steria AS.
  • Snorre Bergan, PhD student (2022–present) — co-supervisor.
  • Simon E. Schrader, PhD student (2022–2026) — main supervisor; now independent researcher.
  • Tilmann Bodenstein, postdoctoral researcher (2019–2021) — now researcher at the Hylleraas Centre.
  • Fabian M. Faulstich, PhD student (2017–2020) — main supervisor; now at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, USA.
  • Benedicte Ofstad, PhD student (2016–2023) — main supervisor; now at the Institute for Energy Technology.
  • Rolf H. Myhre, postdoctoral researcher (2016–2018) — now researcher at the Norwegian Meteorological Institute.
  • Andre Laestadius, postdoctoral researcher (2015–2020) — now Associate Professor at Oslo Metropolitan University.
  • Gustav Baardsen, PhD student (2011–2014) — co-supervisor; now Research Scientist at Varian, Helsinki.

Scientific leadership and conference organization

  • 2025 — WATOC2025, Congress of the World Association of Theoretically Oriented Chemists — member of organizing committee; >1,100 participants.
  • 2023 — Molecular Quantum Dynamics, international workshop, Centre for Advanced Study — initiator and member of four-person organizing committee.
  • 2015 — Fundamental Aspects of DFT, international workshop, Centre for Theoretical and Computational Chemistry — member of two-person organizing committee.
  • 2010 — Time-Dependent Quantum Mechanics — Analysis and Numerics, international workshop, Centre of Mathematics for Applications — initiator and member of three-person organizing committee.

Selected international research collaborations

  • Ludwik Adamowicz, University of Arizona, USA — explicitly correlated Gaussians; quantum chemistry beyond the Born–Oppenheimer approximation.
  • Fabian Faulstich, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, USA — analysis of coupled-cluster methods.
  • Elias Jarlebring, KTH, Sweden — numerical analysis for quantum mechanics and chemistry.
  • Andre Laestadius, OsloMet, Norway — mathematical analysis in quantum chemistry.
  • Caroline Lasser, Technical University of Munich, Germany — numerical analysis in quantum dynamics.
  • Reinhold Schneider, Technical University of Berlin, Germany — coupled-cluster theory and tensor-network states.

Academic leadership and service

Leadership and governance

  • Co-PI, Research Theme 7: Machine Learning and Mathematical Chemistry, Hylleraas Centre (2023–present).
  • Member, Programme Council for Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, University of Oslo (2024–present) — advisory body for the chemistry study programmes.
  • Member, dScience Community Forum, University of Oslo (2020–present).
  • Member, Young Academy of Norway (2014–2019); membership by application and selection based on academic merit, profile, and diversity.
  • In-house graphical designer, Hylleraas Centre.
  • Organized weekly seminars at the Centre for Theoretical and Computational Chemistry (2015).

Peer review and evaluation

Referee for journals including Nature, Physical Review Letters, Physical Review A, Physical Review X, Archive for Rational Mechanics and Analysis, The European Physical Journal, Foundations of Computational Mathematics, International Journal of Quantum Chemistry, The Journal of Chemical Physics, and Journal of Chemical Theory and Computation.

  • Grant application reviewer for ETH Research and the US National Science Foundation.
  • External examiner for MSc and BSc students, OsloMet (2021–2022).
  • Member of mock-interview panels for ERC interview training, University of Oslo (2015–present).

Public outreach

Article in Khrono.no
On the use of artificial intelligence. Link to article

Popular-science writing (2010–2014)
Writer for the popular-science blog Kollokvium.

Radio appearances (2010–2014)
NRK Ekko and Abels Tårn.

Competition judging
Judge for Immunidol, public-outreach competition of the Norwegian Society of Immunology (2013).