Ordinal Research Institute is a small, research-first group focused on foundational aspects of theoretical physics. Our current emphasis is the Knot Physics research program and related approaches to quantum gravity and the emergence of effective field theory.
Leadership
Leadership coordinates research direction and keeps the technical work moving: setting near-term goals, managing drafts and review, and organizing collaborations with researchers.
Cliff Ellgen
President and Director of Research
Cliff Ellgen is a theoretical physicist and the lead researcher of Knot Physics, a geometric model of quantum mechanics. As President and Director of Research at the Ordinal Research Institute, he guides the Institute’s scientific direction and fosters collaborations exploring the foundations of physics. He earned his B.S. in Mathematics from Caltech.
Dominique Kang
Managing Director
Dominique Kang co-founded Ordinal Research Institute with Cliff Ellgen and serves as its Managing Director. She is responsible for the Institute’s operations, communications, and governance, guiding its strategic direction and supporting its mission to advance foundational physics through collaboration and research.
Board of Directors
The Board provides governance and long-term stewardship.
Cliff Ellgen
President and Director of Research
Ann Stimmler Johnson
Director
Ann Johnson is co-founder and CEO emeritus Scuba Analytics (previously Interana), a behavioral analytics company used by leading technology firms. She received a Bachelors and Master of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from Caltech. While at Caltech, Ann was selected for the Intel Scholarship program and subsequently offered a leadership position at Intel, where she served as new product manager and integration engineer. Ann has also served on the Caltech Board of Trustees.
Benjamin Niedner
Director
Benjamin Niedner holds a Ph.D. in Theoretical Physics from the University of Oxford and is an honorary member of the German Physical Society. He is the founder and managing partner of Navis Advisory, which provides strategic and investment insight to high-growth technology and venture clients. A former Project Leader at McKinsey & Company and Venture Partner at VU Venture Partners, Ben advises on the intersection of science, strategy, and innovation.
Research Team
ORI’s research team includes researchers who contribute to specific subproblems—derivations, literature review, model-building, and technical critique—supporting a structured pipeline from internal notes to publication-ready manuscripts.
Ali Nayeri
Researcher
Clear Quantum
Ali Nayeri is a theoretical physicist whose work centers on early-universe cosmology and quantum gravity. His interests include string- and brane-motivated cosmological models, inflation and its alternatives, and connections between general relativity and quantum theory. He has held positions at MIT, the University of Florida, Harvard, UC Irvine, and Chapman University, where he was affiliated with the Institute for Quantum Studies.
Garrett Biehle
Researcher
Garrett Biehle received his Ph.D. from Caltech in astrophysics under advisors Kip Thorne and Roger Blandford. He worked out the structure and observational signature of stars with neutron-degenerate cores.
Bruno Klajn
Researcher
Zagreb School of Economics and Management
Dr. Bruno Klajn received a Ph.D. in physics from the University of Zagreb. His work spans high-energy physics, quantum electrodynamics, quantum chromodynamics, one-loop Feynman diagrams, quantum statistics, gauge theories, holonomy in quantum physics, and the quantum Hall effect. He is a lecturer at the Zagreb School of Economics and Management, where he teaches mathematics and statistics.
Bassem Sabra
Researcher
Notre Dame University–Louaize
Dr. Bassem Sabra is a professor of physics at Notre Dame University–Louaize in Lebanon. He received his Ph.D. in astrophysics from Ohio University, USA. His field of research is active galactic nuclei, using multi-wavelength spectroscopy, modeling, and machine learning to study accretion physics, feedback, and the co-evolution with the host galaxy. He is currently serving as the chairperson of the Department of Physics and Astronomy at NDU.
Sebastian Zając
Researcher
SGH Warsaw School of Economics
Dr. Sebastian Zając is a theoretical physicist and an assistant professor at the Decision Analysis and Support Unit at SGH Warsaw School of Economics. He received his Ph.D. in theoretical and mathematical physics from the University of Silesia in Katowice. He has worked on the mathematical foundations of quantum field theory, incorporating graph theory and category theory. He has also explored quantum machine learning in real-world, business applications.
For collaboration inquiries, include your research area and a short description of the contribution you’re proposing or the question you’d like to pursue in our Contact form.