Machine learning systems, probabilistic inference, high-performance computing and human-centred interfaces — the analytical substrate that runs through every other division.
Division overviewResearch
Five divisions, one method
Veyra organizes scientific inquiry into five divisions and fifteen groups. The ambition is consistent: begin with careful measurement, build mechanistic models and produce tools others can use.
15
Research groups
3 per division
640+
Researchers
faculty, postdocs and students
212
Publications in 2024
peer-reviewed journals
34
Active grants
totalling 148 M cr
Research divisions
Each division is anchored by a signature question and a characteristic motif. Instrument and method flow between them; the separation is organizational, not intellectual.
Soft-matter assembly, heterogeneous catalysis, functional materials and green chemistry — designing new substances from first principles and scaling them responsibly.
Division overviewIntegrated photonic circuits, quantum sensing beyond the standard quantum limit and nonlinear optical devices — building the hardware layer for quantum-enabled technologies.
Division overviewComputational models of perception and decision, neural recording and stimulation, and the design of brain-machine interfaces — understanding cognition well enough to support it.
Division overviewAtmospheric dynamics, catchment hydrology and climate informatics — combining physical models with observation networks and machine learning to understand how the planet changes.
Division overviewCross-cutting themes
Several questions run through every division. We do not assign them to any single group; they are the connective tissue of the Institute.
AI for science
Machine-learning tools developed in CDS are deployed across divisions: predicting material properties, inverting climate data, decoding neural signals and designing photonic circuits.
Instrumentation
Veyra builds the instruments its science requires. Quantum sensors, photonic chips, NMR probes and environmental chambers move directly from the bench into the hands of collaborators.
Sustainability
Green catalysis, low-energy synthesis routes, climate observation infrastructure and energy-efficient computing are treated as design constraints, not add-ons.
Open data
Datasets, calibrated instrument outputs and trained models are published with code, not just described. Every major result comes with a reproducibility package.
The Veyra approach
Veyra was founded in 1987 on a principle that has not changed: evidence precedes capability. We do not propose mechanisms before we can measure them, and we do not build tools before we understand what they must do. This discipline is slow in the short term and faster in the long term.
In practice it means that every group maintains its own observation infrastructure. CDS operates the Meridian GPU cluster and a suite of scientific benchmarks. MME runs continuous synthesis-characterization loops in dedicated wet labs. QPS maintains three cryogenic photonic test stations. CNS operates a 64-channel electrophysiology rig shared with clinical partners. ECS manages a network of seventeen atmospheric sensor arrays across four terrain classes.
Results leave the lab in two directions: to the academic community through peer-reviewed publication, and to industry and public-sector partners through the Institute's commercial services arm. Neither path is treated as subordinate.
Facilities supporting research
Five core facilities serve all divisions and are open to external academic and commercial users under booking agreements.
Advanced Microscopy Centre
Cryo-EM, confocal microscopy and atomic force microscopy. Supports MME, CNS and QPS groups.
Facility detailsMeridian HPC Cluster
2,400 GPU nodes for large-scale simulation, training and inference. The backbone of CDS and ECS compute.
Facility detailsCleanroom & Nanofabrication
Class-100 cleanroom with lithography, deposition and etch capability. Central to QPS and MME work.
Facility detailsSpectroscopy & Analytical Core
600 MHz NMR, high-resolution mass spectrometry and XRD for materials characterization.
Facility detailsVeyra Biofoundry
Automated assay and synthesis platforms supporting green chemistry and drug-discovery collaboration.
Facility detailsExternal access
All five facilities accept external bookings. Rates are set by a credit-based scheme; see the Equipment Rental service for details.
Rental ratesPublications
Recent publications from all five divisions
A curated list of 24 publications from 2021 to 2025, grouped by division, with full citation information and download links where available.