Daryl Haggard

Daryl Haggard is an Associate Professor of Physics at McGill University, affiliated with the Trottier Space Institute. She holds a Canada Research Chair (Tier 2) in Multi-messenger Astrophysics and leads research on supermassive black holes, galactic centers, and neutron star mergers. Her work combines observations across electromagnetic spectra and gravitational waves, notably contributing to the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) collaboration's historic 2019 black hole image and the 2017 discovery of the neutron star merger GW170817.

Education includes a BA in Philosophy from St. John's College (1995), followed by MSc in Physics (San Francisco State, 2004) and Astronomy PhD (University of Washington, 2010). Postdoctoral roles included a CIERA Fellowship at Northwestern University (2010–2014) and teaching at Amherst College (2014–2015).

Research focuses on accretion physics, black hole dynamics, and multi-wavelength astronomy. Her team studies Sgr A* and M87*, using Chandra X-ray Observatory data to analyze flare mechanisms and accretion flows. Notable contributions include understanding off-axis relativistic outflows in kilonovae and advancing machine learning techniques for gravitational wave classification (GWSkyNet).

Awards include the 2020 Breakthrough Prize in Physics (EHT team), CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholars Award, and recognition as La Presse's 'Personality of the Week' (2019). She collaborates with global initiatives like the EHT and leads projects such as the CASTOR mission and AXIS satellite.

Current efforts emphasize time-domain astronomy, black hole binary detection, and leveraging AI for data analysis. She advocates for diversity in STEM and emphasizes long-term impacts of research on future generations.