Daniel M. Scolnic

Daniel M. Scolnic is an Associate Professor of Physics at Duke University's Trinity College of Arts & Sciences and holds a joint appointment in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the Pratt School of Engineering. His research focuses on cosmology, particularly using Type Ia supernovae and near-infrared observations to probe dark energy and resolve the Hubble tension.

• Ph.D. (2013), Johns Hopkins University
• B.S. (2007), Massachusetts Institute of Technology

As a leading figure in supernova cosmology, Scolnic works on refining the cosmic distance ladder, studying time-evolving dark energy, and analyzing systematic uncertainties in cosmological measurements. His work leverages data from the Dark Energy Survey (DES), Pantheon+ collaboration, and James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to address discrepancies in the Hubble constant (H₀) derived from early- and late-universe observations.

His recent publications highlight advancements in inverse distance ladder techniques, host galaxy dust modeling, and the role of photometric redshifts in cosmological analyses. Notably, his team's JAGB 2.0 study improves Hubble constant constraints using JWST.

• Defense Science Study Group (DSSG)
• Clarivate Most Highly Cited Scientists
• Fred Kavli Plenary Lectureship
• Sloan Research Fellowship in Physics
• Department of Energy Early Career Award
• Packard Fellowship

Scolnic leads major grants from NASA, the Packard Foundation, and the Department of Energy, including a NASA Roman Project Infrastructure Team grant (2023-2028) and a Packard Fellowship (2019-2027) to investigate cosmological tensions. He actively collaborates with the Duke Cosmology Group and contributes to the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope's High-Latitude Time-Domain Survey.