Houjun Mo

Houjun Mo is a Professor in the Department of Astronomy at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. His research focuses on galaxy formation, cosmology, dark matter halos, and large-scale structure of the universe. He has coauthored the textbook Galaxy Formation and Evolution (Cambridge University Press) and actively integrates simulations and observations to study galaxy properties.

• Contact: hjmo@umass.edu | (413) 577-0394 | LGRT-B-536, 710 N Pleasant St, Amherst, MA 01003

Research Interests:
Mo constructs models to understand disk galaxies, dark matter halo formation, galaxy-halo connections, and cosmic density fields. His work combines observational data (e.g., SDSS-IV MaNGA) with simulations (e.g., IllustrisTNG) to explore topics like gas distribution, star formation histories, and cosmological feedback mechanisms.

Teaching Philosophy:
He specializes in general astronomy for non-majors, emphasizing accessible explanations of astrophysical principles through everyday analogies and interactive demonstrations. His efforts aim to bridge the gap between complex scientific concepts and public understanding.

Publications:
Recent work examines globular clusters, HI gas content, galaxy kinematics, and halo assembly using data from JWST, SDSS, and simulation frameworks. Key themes include galaxy evolution, dark matter dynamics, and cosmological structure formation.