Keith Olive

Keith Olive is a Distinguished McKnight University Professor in the School of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Minnesota, holding the Gloria Becker Lubkin Chair in Theoretical Physics at the William I. Fine Theoretical Physics Institute and serving as a Member of the Minnesota Institute for Astrophysics. His work bridges fundamental particle physics with cosmological phenomena, addressing core questions about the universe's origin and structure.

Professor Olive's research spans cosmology and particle physics, with primary focus on big bang nucleosynthesis (explaining light element formation up to 7Li), particle dark matter, big bang baryogenesis (resolving matter-antimatter asymmetry), and inflation theory (solving standard cosmology's outstanding problems). His theoretical frameworks integrate supersymmetry, grand unified theories, and early universe dynamics to model cosmic evolution from primordial conditions.

Recent publications (2024-2025) reveal concentrated exploration of dark matter detection mechanisms, inflationary model refinements, and string theory-cosmology intersections. Key trends include gravitational portal dynamics during reheating, R²-inflation derived from 4D string frameworks, curvaton behavior post-Planck data, and electroweak corrections in wino dark matter detection—highlighting his leadership in connecting quantum gravity, particle phenomenology, and observational cosmology.

Honors include:

• Distinguished McKnight University Professor
• Gloria Becker Lubkin Chair in Theoretical Physics

Professor Olive actively mentors graduate researchers and leads the DOE-funded project "Theoretical High Energy Physics at the University of Minnesota" (2014-2026), securing $X million for dark matter and particle cosmology research. This initiative fosters collaboration with co-investigators Gherghetta, Peloso, and Voloshin across theoretical frameworks and observational constraints.

He directs research within the William I. Fine Theoretical Physics Institute and Minnesota Institute for Astrophysics, coordinating the High Energy Theory group and Particle Data Group contributions. These teams drive interdisciplinary work connecting string theory, collider physics, and cosmic microwave background analysis to decode fundamental universal laws.