Arianne Meijer–van de Griend receives prize for best doctoral dissertation

The Information Technology Research Foundation's doctoral dissertation prize was awarded at the Annual Symposium of Computer Science in Finland on 2 June. The winning dissertation addresses the challenges of quantum computing.
Arianne Meijer-van de Griend
Arianne Meijer-van de Griend

The Information Technology Research Foundation has awarded Dr Arianne Meijer–van de Griend for the best doctoral dissertation in 2024. The topic of the dissertation was ‘Advances in Quantum Compilation in the NISQ Era’.

The field of the dissertation is quantum computing, and it is the first of its kind in this field of computer science in Finland. The main theme of the work is the compilation of high-abstraction level programs into a format that can be effectively processed by a quantum computer. The work highlights the role of programming in the use of quantum computers and significantly advances the field by presenting ways to optimise programmes into the most suitable form for quantum computers.

The dissertation significantly advances the new field of quantum computing in Finland and also has immediate industrial applications. Funding has already been secured for further work on the dissertation, and an active research group has been formed.

The Information Technology Research Foundation annually awards the prize to a distinguished doctoral dissertation in the field of information technology. The thesis must have been completed during the previous calendar year at a Finnish higher education institution. The award is granted on the basis of a proposal prepared by the Information Processing Society of Finland and is announced at the Annual Symposium of Computer Science in Finland, held in Helsinki on 2–3 June 2025.

This news item was originally published on the University of Helsinki website on 2.6.2025

  • Updated:
  • Published:
Share
URL copied!

Read more news

wind turbine
Aalto University, Department of Information and Communications Engineering, Highlight, Research Published:

New research: Reliable electricity can no longer be taken for granted – the green transition may require fossil fuel as backup

Although Finland's electricity system has been exceptionally reliable, this may not necessarily be the case in the future. A recent study by Aalto University warns that without further investment in flexible production and demand management, the security of the electricity supply could deteriorate significantly as early as the 2030s.
Gut Bacteria
Aalto University, AI, Collaboration, Computer Science Department, Health, Highlight, Research, University of Helsinki Published:

New information on the spread of gut bacteria that cause bloodstream infections

Gut bacteria that cause bloodstream infections can spread as quickly as influenza epidemics. The good news is neither the antibiotic-resistant nor the highly virulent strains are the most transmissible.
Academy Professors
Aalto University, Appointments, Awards, Highlight Published:

Three new Academy Professors at Aalto University

Professor Tuomas Hytönen from the Department of Mathematics and Systems Analysis, Professor Mikko Möttönen from the Department of Applied Physics and Professor Aki Vehtari from the Department of Computer Science have been appointed as Academy Professors for the term 1 January 2026–31 December 2031. Congratulations to all!
Daniela da Silva Fernandes on the left and Robin Welsch on the right.
Aalto University, AI, Artificial Intelligence, Highlight, Research Published:

AI use makes us overestimate our cognitive performance

New research warns we shouldn’t blindly trust Large Language Models with logical reasoning –– stopping at one prompt limits ChatGPT’s usefulness more than users realise.