PeopleofSuperintelligence

Researcher

Lloyd C. L. Hollenberg

Also known as Lloyd Hollenberg

Lloyd Hollenberg is a quantum physicist at the University of Melbourne whose group tests what quantum computers can do, including for quantum machine learning. After a BSc in 1984 and a PhD in theoretical particle physics in 1989 at Melbourne, he turned to quantum computing in 1999 and developed a quantum algorithm for biosequence alignment in 2000. A team he led simulated the output of a 60-qubit quantum computer in 2018, the year he was elected a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science, and the Academy awarded him its 2025 Lloyd Rees Lecture. He is Thomas Baker Professor of Physical Biosciences and leads the university's IBM Quantum Hub.

Badges

Timeline

  1. 1984–1989

    Melbourne BSc and PhD

    He earns a BSc at the University of Melbourne in 1984 and a PhD there in 1989, in theoretical particle physics.

  2. 1999–2000

    A quantum bioinformatics algorithm

    He turns to the then nascent field of quantum computing in 1999. In 2000, he develops a quantum algorithm for biosequence alignment, one of the first works defining quantum bioinformatics.

  3. 2005–2011

    Technical director and ARC fellow

    From 2005 to 2008, he is Technical Director of Quantum Communications Victoria. He holds an ARC Australian Professorial Fellowship from 2006 to 2011.

  4. 2013–2014

    Prizes and the Thomas Baker Chair

    In 2013, he wins the Victoria Prize for Science and Innovation in physical sciences and leads the team that wins the Eureka Interdisciplinary Research Prize for the first in-cell quantum probe measurement. He also receives an ARC Laureate Fellowship in 2013 to investigate quantum sensing technology for biological systems. In 2014, he becomes the inaugural Thomas Baker Chair in Physical Biosciences in the School of Physics at the University of Melbourne.

  5. 2016–2018

    A medal and Academy fellowship

    He receives the Royal Society of Victoria Medal for Excellence in Scientific Research in 2016. In 2018, he is elected a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science; his work includes the physical-quantum information basis for a full-scale silicon quantum computer and advances in using nitrogen-vacancy centres in diamond as quantum sensors.

  6. 2018

    A 60-qubit simulation record

    As Deputy Director of the Centre for Quantum Computation and Communication Technology, he leads a team that in 2018 simulates the output of a 60-qubit quantum computer on a classical computer, a world record. The simulation runs the quantum factoring algorithm at the Pawsey Supercomputing Centre.

  7. 2025

    The 2025 Lloyd Rees Lecture

    In June 2025, the Australian Academy of Science announces that he has been awarded the 2025 Lloyd Rees Lecture, to be given in November 2025 as an update on the state of quantum computing.

  8. As of October 2026

    Leading the IBM Quantum Hub

    He is Thomas Baker Professor of Physical Biosciences in the School of Physics at the University of Melbourne and leads the university's IBM Quantum Hub, a large team testing quantum computing on state-of-the-art hardware. His 2025 papers include "Nonunitary quantum machine learning" and "Let the quantum creep in: designing quantum neural network models by gradually swapping out classical components". A 2026 paper presents an implementation of a quantum sequence alignment algorithm for quantum bioinformatics.

Career

  1. Since 2014University of MelbourneThomas Baker Professor of Physical Biosciences
  2. 2005–2008Quantum Communications VictoriaTechnical Director
  3. Department of Employment and Workplace RelationsDeputy Director

Education

  1. 1989University of MelbournePhD
  2. 1984University of MelbourneBSc

From the biography.

  1. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology trained or employed 44 of the 187 AI major-prize winners, more than any other universityIncludes University of Melbourne. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology trained or employed 44 of the 187 AI major-prize winners, more than any other university. We compare doctorate and 5+ year employment links, career timing and current workplaces for 187 major-prize and 1,111 best-paper winners.
  2. More people shaping AI studied at Massachusetts Institute of Technology than at any other institutionIncludes University of Melbourne. We estimate where the people shaping AI studied and where their careers led. Massachusetts Institute of Technology leads with 467 former students, including 291 recorded doctorates.
  3. The company share of AI researchers’ top papers was 31% in 2020–2024 and 8% in 1970–1974Includes University of Melbourne. We estimate where the people shaping AI worked when their most-cited papers appeared: the company share was 31% in 2020–2024 and 8% in 1970–1974, and Google led all organizations in 2020–2024.
  4. Google has the highest combined h-index among AI organizationsIncludes University of Melbourne. We estimate that Google holds the highest combined h-index at 8,016, while universities account for 73% of the deduplicated total across AI organizations.

Colleagues

People with dated positions at the same organization in the same years.

Sources and credits

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  1. Hollenberg, Lloyd L. - Person - Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation eoas.info. Checked 21 October 2026.
  2. Lloyd Hollenberg - BIS 2024 bis.amsi.org.au. Checked 21 October 2026.
  3. Lloyd Hollenberg | Australian Academy of Science science.org.au. Checked 21 October 2026.
  4. New world record set in quantum computing simulation electronicsonline.net.au. Checked 21 October 2026.
  5. A Simulation for Our Quantum Future pawsey.org.au. Checked 21 October 2026.
  6. 2025 Lloyd Rees Lecture to explore future of quantum computing science.org.au. Checked 21 October 2026.
  7. Prof Lloyd Hollenberg : Find an Expert : The University of Melbourne findanexpert.unimelb.edu.au. Checked 21 October 2026.