Peter Quinn

Professor Peter Quinn is a distinguished astrophysicist at the University of Western Australia, serving as Chairman of the Board at the International Space Centre and affiliated with the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research (ICRAR) and the Office of DVC Research. He received his BSc(Hons) in Mathematics and Physics from the University of Wollongong in 1978 with the University Medal in Physics, and his PhD in astronomy and astrophysics from the Australian National University (ANU) in 1982.

His research centers on galaxy formation and evolution, dark matter dynamics, and the Epoch of Reionization. He has pioneered computational astrophysics, particularly through the discovery of the Quinn-Goodman effect and contributions to the MACHO Dark Matter Search Project. He has led major initiatives in the European Southern Observatory (ESO), including the Very Large Telescope (VLT) data flow system and the Astrophysical Virtual Observatory (AVO) project.

His scholarly work spans radio astronomy, supercomputer simulations, and data-intensive science, with a strong focus on the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) and gravitational wave detection. His work has earned him several prestigious accolades including a NASA High Performance Computing Award and a Computerworld 21st Century Achievement Award. He is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science (FASA) and a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Physics (FTSE).

His research also extends to large-scale international infrastructure projects and planning for the Square Kilometre Array and gravitational wave observations. He has served as Division Head at ESO and as a Chief Investigator for numerous grants, including the Australian SKA Regional Centre and ICRAR core funding.