Professor Derek Leinweber is a distinguished theoretical physicist eminent for elucidating the phenomena emerging from Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD), the relativistic quantum field theory of the strong interactions. Performing direct first-principles supercomputer simulations, he has disclosed the structure of the QCD ground-state fields forming the foundation of matter. He illustrated how the fundamental mechanism of centre vortices in the fields confine quarks and generate mass. His ab-initio calculations of the electromagnetic structure of nucleon and Lambda-baryon excitations lead the field, advancing theoretical techniques. Combining these breakthroughs with novel developments of nonperturbative effective field theory, Derek has revolutionised our understanding of QCD.

Prof Leinweber's approach to QCD favours the fundamental first-principles approach of lattice QCD where numerical simulations of the quantum field theory are performed on supercomputers. This ab-initio approach is complemented by effective field theory in relating the results from Lattice QCD to the experimental measurements of Nature. His research is reflected in over 383 refereed publications having more than 14,500 citations providing an h-index of 70.