Previously, he was a professor at Duke University and a research scientist at the Center for Nonlinear Studies and Theoretical Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory.
[1] While Hastings primarily works in quantum information science, he has made contributions to a range of topics in physics and related fields.
He proved an extension of the Lieb-Schultz-Mattis theorem (see Lieb-Robinson bounds) to dimensions greater than one,[2] providing foundational mathematical insights into topological quantum computing.
[3] He and Michael Freedman formulated the NLTS conjecture, a precursor to a quantum PCP theorem (qPCP).
[4] He is invited to speak at the 2022 International Congress of Mathematicians in St. Petersburg in the mathematical physics section.