TII Appointments

The Technology Innovation Institute (TII), a leading global scientific research center and the applied research pillar of Abu Dhabi’s Advanced Technology Research Council (ATRC), has made key appointments related to quantum technologies research.

TII has named Dr. Leandro Aolita Acting Chief Researcher of TII’s Quantum Research Center (QRC). It has also named Dr. Frederico Brito Acting Director of the Quantum Computing Hardware Laboratories. Meanwhile, Dr. José Ignacio Latorre will remain as an external advisor for QRC.

Dr. Aolita was previously Executive Director of the Quantum Algorithms group at TII. Prior to joining the Technology Innovation Institute, he was a tenured Associate Professor of Physics at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, where he was a grantee of highly competitive institutions such as the Serrapilheira Institute. Previously, he has also been a Marie Curie Fellow at the Free University of Berlin and a Juan de la Cierva Fellow at the Institute of Photonic Sciences in Barcelona. His PhD thesis in 2008 was awarded the “Prize to the Best Brazilian PhD Thesis in Physics of the Year,” by the Brazilian Physics Society.

Dr. Brito is a tenured Assistant Professor of Physics at the University of Sao Paulo, leading the group on Open Quantum Systems and the theory of Superconducting devices. He obtained his Ph.D. at the University of Campinas, was a post-doctoral researcher at IBM T. J. Watson-Yorktown Heights, and was a Research Staff member at D-Wave Sys.

Over the years, Dr. Latorre has significantly grown QRC from the early days of the center to nearly 100 people today. Dr. Aolita will now lead the next phase of growth of QRC.

Dr. Najwa Aaraj, CEO of TII, said: “With the United Nations declaring 2025 the Year of Quantum Technology and Science, global momentum in quantum research has never been stronger. The recent appointments underscore the growing recognition of quantum’s transformative potential, from secure communication to high-performance computing and next-generation materials. At TII, we remain committed to driving quantum research forward, fostering global collaboration and translating innovations into real-world impact."