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Harris H. Wang is an Associate Professor in the Department of Systems Biology and Department of Pathology and Cell Biology at Columbia University's Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, where he also serves as Interim Chair of Systems Biology. He is affiliated with the Center for Computational Biology and Bioinformatics (C2B2) and the Integrated Program in Cellular, Molecular and Biomedical Studies (CMBS). B.S., Physics and Mathematics, MIT Ph.D., Biophysics, Harvard University Dr. Wang's research lies at the intersection of systems and synthetic biology, focusing on developing foundational technologies for genome engineering, microbiome manipulation, and synthetic genomics. His lab pioneers methods such as MAGE, MAGIC, CAST, and CAMII to enable high-throughput genetic manipulation, in situ microbiome engineering, and AI-driven microbial culturomics. Key research themes include understanding microbial community dynamics, engineering cellular memory systems, designing biocontained genetic circuits, and applying synthetic biology to human health challenges in personalized medicine and infectious disease. His recent publications reveal a strong trend in spatial and functional metagenomics, CRISPR-based microbiome editing, and synthetic biology tools for data storage and genetic stability. The articles span high-impact journals like Nature , Science , and Nature Biotechnology , reflecting his leadership in developing scalable, programmable biological systems. Scientific Awards: NIH Director’s Early Independence Award Forbes 30 Under 30 in Science Sloan Research Fellowship NSF CAREER Award ONR Young Investigator Award Burroughs Wellcome Fund PATH Award Schaefer Scholar Blavatnik National Award Vilcek Prize PECASE Dr. Wang has advised numerous PhD and postdoctoral researchers, many of whom have gone on to independent scientific careers. His lab is supported by major grants from NIH, NSF, DARPA, DOE, and foundations including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and CZ Biohub NY. He is actively involved in educational initiatives, including organizing Columbia’s iGEM team and the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Synthetic Biology course. The Wang Lab is based at the Columbia University Irving Medical Center and is part of national consortia such as the Engineering Biology Research Consortium (EBRC) and the Genome Project-Write (GP-Write) initiative. The lab develops and applies cutting-edge technologies in automation, machine learning, and synthetic biology to engineer microbiomes for applications in medicine, global health, and climate change.

• Systems Biology
• Synthetic Biology
• Genome Engineering
• +17 more

Dragan Huterer is a Professor of Physics and Associate Chair for the Graduate Program at the University of Michigan. His research focuses on cosmology, particularly dark energy and large-scale structure, utilizing data from the Dark Energy Survey (DES) and the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) collaborations. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Chicago (2001) and B.S. from MIT (1996). His work explores the nature of dark energy through cosmological probes like Type Ia supernovae, galaxy clustering, and cosmic microwave background anisotropies. Key contributions include co-leading DESI's first-year cosmological analysis, revealing unprecedented constraints on dark energy and neutrino masses. He also investigates the statistical isotropy of the universe and authored the textbook A Course in Cosmology: From Theory to Practice . Awards include the Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel Research Award (2019) and the Chambliss Astronomical Writing Award (2025). He has advised numerous graduate and undergraduate students, and his funding includes DOE, NSF, and NASA grants. Current projects include the Michigan Cosmology Summer School and leadership in the DESI Collaboration.

• Cosmology
• Dark Energy
• Large-Scale Structure
• +3 more

Matias Zaldarriaga is the Richard Black Professor in the School of Natural Sciences at the Institute for Advanced Study (IAS), Princeton. His research focuses on theoretical cosmology, gravitational waves, and the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB). He has held previous faculty positions at Harvard University (2003-2009) and New York University (2001-2002). Education: Ph.D. in Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1998 Licenciado en Ciencias Físicas, Universidad de Buenos Aires, 1994 Zaldarriaga's work centers on decoding the early universe through CMB analysis and gravitational-wave astrophysics. He investigates inflation, large-scale structure formation, and black hole dynamics, leveraging advanced statistical methods to probe fundamental physics from cosmological data. His recent publications (2023-2025) demonstrate a strong focus on gravitational-wave data analysis, including novel algorithms for detecting binary black hole mergers, constraints on inflationary physics from large-scale surveys, and modeling supermassive black hole evolution. Key themes include higher-order waveform harmonics, pulsar timing arrays, and computational innovations for gravitational-wave astronomy. Awards and Honors: Gruber Cosmology Prize (2021) MacArthur Fellowship (2006) European Physical Society Gribov Medal (2005) Sloan Fellowship (2004) Helen B. Warner Prize, American Astronomical Society (2003) Packard Fellowship (2001) He collaborates extensively with international teams (e.g., LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA, DESI) and mentors researchers in cosmology and astrophysics. His group develops open-source tools for gravitational-wave inference and cosmological parameter estimation.

• Cosmology
• Gravitational Waves
• Cosmic Microwave Background
• +3 more

Elena Pierpaoli is Professor of Physics and Astronomy at USC Dornsife College, specializing in theoretical cosmology. Her research aims to determine the Universe's content and evolution through astrophysical observations. Primary research areas include Cosmic Microwave Background analysis, dark energy and dark matter properties, early universe physics, and cosmological model testing using galaxy clusters and large-scale structure data. Recent work focuses on gravitational lensing effects in CMB data and galaxy cluster dynamics. Research involves major collaborations including the Simons Observatory and CMB-S4 projects, developing next-generation cosmological surveys and instrumentation for precision cosmology.

• Theoretical Cosmology
• Cosmic Microwave Background
• Dark Energy
• +3 more

John E. Carlstrom is the Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar Distinguished Service Professor and Chair of the Departments of Astronomy & Astrophysics and Physics at the University of Chicago. He leads the South Pole Telescope (SPT) project and co-chairs the CMB-S4 collaboration, focusing on observational cosmology and the cosmic microwave background (CMB). His work bridges the University of Chicago with Argonne National Laboratory, the Enrico Fermi Institute, and the Kavli Institute for Cosmological Physics. Education: PhD, University of California, Berkeley (1988) AB, Vassar College Carlstrom’s research centers on using the CMB to study the universe’s origin and evolution, including inflation, dark energy, and neutrino masses. His team employs advanced instruments like the SPTpol and SPT-3G cameras to map CMB polarization and detect galaxy clusters via the Sunyaev-Zeldovich effect. Recent projects include the Event Horizon Telescope’s black hole imaging and NSF-funded CMB-S4 development. Scientific Awards: MacArthur Fellowship (1998) Gruber Prize in Cosmology (2015) Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics (2019) Dannie Heineman Prize for Astrophysics (2024) Arthur L. Kelly Faculty Prize (2024) Elected to AAAS (2000) and NAS (2002) He directs the SPT Group, which collaborates with Argonne National Laboratory on superconducting detector fabrication. His work has shaped major initiatives like the Dark Energy Survey and the Giant Magellan Telescope, influencing the Astro2020 decadal survey. Carlstrom mentors graduate students in physics and astrophysics, advancing precision cosmology through cutting-edge instrumentation.

• Cosmology
• Experimental Astrophysics
• Observational Cosmology
• +7 more

Pearl Sandick is a Professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy and Interim Dean in the College of Science at the University of Utah. She has previously served as Associate Chair of the Department of Physics and Astronomy and Associate Dean for Faculty and Research in the College of Science. Her academic journey at the University of Utah began in 2011 as an Assistant Professor, progressing to Associate Professor in 2017, and achieving the rank of Professor in 2022. Her educational background includes: BA in Mathematics from New York University (2003) PhD in Physics from the University of Minnesota (2008) Sandick is a theoretical particle physicist whose research focuses on physics beyond the Standard Model, with particular emphasis on dark matter. Her work spans theoretical modeling, connections to astrophysical observations, and implications for experimental detection. She investigates various dark matter candidates and their potential signatures in current and future experiments, including collider searches, direct detection experiments, and indirect detection through astrophysical observations. Her research also extends to connections between particle physics and cosmology, including early universe phenomena and implications for cosmic structure formation. She has developed computational tools like MADHAT for dark matter analysis and has made significant contributions to understanding how stellar evolution can constrain axion physics. Her scholarly contributions have been recognized with several prestigious awards: University of Utah Early Career Teaching Award (2016) University of Utah Distinguished Mentor Award Linda K. Amos Award for Distinguished Service to Women University of Utah Presidential Scholar Sandick has been actively involved in mentoring graduate students, as evidenced by her teaching of PhD thesis research and Master's research courses. She has secured significant research funding from the National Science Foundation and other agencies to support her work on dark matter, dark energy, and new physics. Her grant portfolio includes projects on theoretical particle physics, connections to astrophysical observations, and studies on graduate education reform following a departmental tragedy. She is an active member of the American Physical Society, having served as Chair of the regional Four Corners Section in 2021-2022, demonstrating her commitment to the broader physics community and leadership in her field.

• Dark Matter
• Particle Astrophysics
• Cosmology
• +2 more

Susan E. Clark is an Assistant Professor of Physics at Stanford University, where she investigates cosmic magnetic fields, magnetohydrodynamic processes, and the interstellar medium (ISM) through observation, simulation, and analytic theory. Prior to Stanford, she was a NASA Hubble Fellow and postdoctoral member at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey, after earning her Ph.D. in Astrophysics from Columbia University (2017) and B.S. in Physics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (2012), supported by a Morehead-Cain scholarship. Education: Ph.D., Astrophysics, Columbia University (2017) — NSF Graduate Fellow B.S., Physics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (2012) — Morehead-Cain scholarship Her research focuses on Galactic and extragalactic magnetism, interstellar turbulence, star formation, and polarized cosmological foregrounds. She leads an interdisciplinary group tackling these problems via observational data, numerical simulations, and machine learning techniques. Current projects include characterizing magnetic field alignment, modeling 3D ISM structure, and analyzing data from experiments like the Atacama Cosmology Telescope, Simons Observatory, CMB-S4, CCAT-Prime, LiteBIRD, and the Galactic Australian SKA Pathfinder (GASKAP). Recent publications highlight her work on dust filament misalignment, HI morphology for gas phase separation, equipartition magnetic field estimation, and tomographic MHD simulations of galactic magnetic fields. These studies integrate astrophysics, computational methods, and observational astronomy to decode the universe's magnetic structure and dynamics. Scientific Awards: Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellowship NSF Graduate Fellowship NASA Hubble Fellowship Clark co-founded the Pan-Experiment Galactic Science Group and co-directs Stanford's Center for Decoding the Universe, fostering interdisciplinary collaborations. Her lab includes postdocs, graduate students, and undergraduates, with alumni transitioning to roles in academia and industry. Funding comes from NSF, NASA, and the Sloan Foundation.

• Cosmic Magnetic Fields
• Interstellar Medium
• Astrophysical Magnetic Fields
• +6 more

Prof. G. Scott Watson is a Professor in the Department of Physics at Syracuse University, affiliated with the College of Arts & Sciences. His research focuses on the interplay between fundamental particle physics and cosmology, particularly early universe cosmology, inflationary models, dark matter/energy, and string theory applications. He holds a Ph.D. in Physics from Brown University (2005) and B.S. degrees in Mathematics and Physics from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington (2000). Key research interests include string phenomenology as a quantum gravity framework, probing inflationary scenarios through cosmic microwave background (CMB) studies, and exploring dark matter origins. He leads major projects like CMB-S4 and contributes to the CMBPol mission concept. Watson has received the American Physical Society Outstanding Referee Award (2021) and serves on high-profile collaborations such as the Inflation Probe Study Analysis Group (IPSAG). Teaching responsibilities include advanced courses like Quantum Field Theory, Relativity and Cosmology, and Quantum Mechanics II. He actively mentors students through independent studies and advises on graduate admissions. Watson has secured significant grants, including a Department of Energy-funded project on theoretical particle physics and cosmology (2013–2025) and NSF support for cosmic acceleration research (2018–2023).

• Early Universe Cosmology
• Inflation
• Dark Matter
• +3 more

Prof. Gary Shiu is a Professor of Physics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, leading research at the intersection of string theory, particle physics, and cosmology. He is affiliated with the Department of Physics and has held academic appointments at institutions like the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and the CERN. His research focuses on quantum gravity, the Swampland program, inflationary cosmology, and AI applications in physics. He has received notable awards including the Guggenheim Fellowship, Kavli Frontiers Fellowship, and Chancellor’s Distinguished Teaching Award. Education: PhD in Physics (Cornell University, 1998), BSc in Physics (Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1993). Academic roles include founding director of the Center for Fundamental Physics at HKUST and co-initiator of the Physics ∩ ML seminar series. He advises graduate and undergraduate students in theoretical physics and cosmology, with notable advisees contributing to projects in dark energy, string vacua, and machine learning. Research highlights include formulating the Weak Gravity Conjecture in AdS space, developing methods for cosmological parameter inference using topological data analysis, and exploring the String Genome Project. His work bridges theoretical physics with experimental observables, leveraging advanced computational techniques and interdisciplinary collaborations. Key awards include the Kellett Mid-Career Award, Vilas Associate Award, and multiple fellowships from prestigious societies. He actively participates in international conferences and editorial boards, contributing to initiatives like the Gordon Research Conference on String Theory and Cosmology. Labs/Teams: Theoretical and Computational Cosmology Group, AI ∩ Universe Initiative, and collaborations in string phenomenology and machine learning applications.

• String Theory
• Particle Physics
• Cosmology
• +3 more

Tobias Marriage is a Professor in the William H. Miller III Department of Physics & Astronomy at Johns Hopkins University, within the Krieger School of Arts & Sciences. He co-leads the Cosmology Large Angular Scale Surveyor (CLASS) project and contributed to the Atacama Cosmology Telescope (ACT) by designing its initial receiver and analysis pipeline. His research focuses on understanding the universe's evolution through measurements of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) and studying dusty star-forming galaxies (DSFGs) and galaxy clusters. Education: PhD in Physics from Princeton University. He actively collaborates on large-scale cosmological surveys and develops cutting-edge instrumentation for millimeter-wave observations, including aerogel filters and polarization-sensitive detectors. His work addresses fundamental questions about cosmic inflation, reionization, and the thermal Sunyaev-Zel’dovich effect in galaxy clusters. Research highlights include leading the CLASS telescope’s design and operations, analyzing ACT data for extragalactic point sources, and exploring quasar feedback mechanisms. His contributions span both observational cosmology and instrument innovation, with a focus on maximizing sensitivity and reducing noise in CMB measurements. Notable projects include the CLASS experiment’s E-mode polarization measurements and efforts to characterize the physical properties of high-redshift DSFGs. He emphasizes the need for future space-based far-infrared telescopes to advance studies of these galaxies. His work also includes calibrating galaxy cluster masses via weak-lensing techniques and improving data analysis pipelines for large-scale surveys.

• Cosmology
• Astrophysics
• Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) Studies
• +3 more

Bharat Ratra is a Professor at the Department of Physics , Kansas State University , focusing on Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics . He develops theoretical models of the universe's large-scale structure and tests them using observational data, particularly from cosmic microwave background radiation (CMBR) anisotropy, dark energy dynamics, and large-scale matter distribution . His work frequently involves collaborations with the Kansas State University High Energy Physics Group , University of Kansas Cosmology Group , and use of computational resources at the Kansas State University Center for Scientific Supercomputing . Ratra's research has been supported by the National Science Foundation , and he has made significant contributions to understanding the time-variable cosmological constant , inflationary models , and dark energy through over 50 publications. His 15 most recent selected publications focus on constraining cosmological parameters using supernova data, CMBR anisotropy experiments (COBE, MAX, ARGO, White Dish), and large-scale structure observations, with a particular emphasis on Hubble constant determination, spatial curvature analysis, and dark energy dynamics . Among his research advisees is Silviu Podariu , and he has collaborated with postdoctoral associates such as Dr. Pia Mukherjee , Dr. Tarun Souradeep , and Dr. Graca Rocha (now at University of Oxford). Ratra's work bridges theoretical cosmology with observational data to refine our understanding of the universe's geometry and evolution.

• Cosmology
• Astroparticle Physics
• Dark Energy
• +5 more

Rachel Bean is Jacob Gould Schurman Professor of Astronomy at Cornell University and Senior Associate Dean for Math and Science. Her cosmology research focuses on dark energy properties, gravitational physics, and the early universe using cosmic microwave background and galaxy survey data. As co-recipient of the Gruber and Breakthrough prizes, she contributed to precision cosmology through the WMAP mission. Research develops methods to extract cosmological information from large astrophysical datasets, including cross-correlation techniques between CMB experiments (Atacama Cosmology Telescope, Simons Observatory) and galaxy surveys (DESI, Rubin LSST). Current projects investigate modified gravity constraints using cluster abundances and novel statistical approaches to kSZ velocity reconstruction. Publication themes include precision cosmology, gravity tests, and multi-messenger astrophysics. Recent work advances machine learning applications for cosmological inference, while earlier research established foundations in semiconductor device physics. Articles consistently demonstrate innovative approaches to cosmological parameter estimation and physical theory testing. Awards: Gruber Prize (2012), Breakthrough Prize (2018), Presidential Early Career Award, and Cottrell Scholar Award. Leadership includes former chair of LSST Dark Energy Science Collaboration and service on the Astronomy and Astrophysics Advisory Committee.

• Cosmology
• Dark Energy
• Gravitational Physics
• +2 more

Katherine Freese is the Jeff & Gail Endowed Chair of Physics at the University of Texas at Austin and a Guest Professor at Stockholm University. She previously held the George E. Uhlenbeck Professor of Physics position at the University of Michigan until her move to Texas in 2019. Freese is renowned for her work in theoretical cosmology and astroparticle physics, focusing on dark matter, dark energy, and models of the early universe. She received a $13M grant (2014–2024) for cosmoparticle physics research at Stockholm University and served as Director of NORDITA (Nordic Institute for Theoretical Physics) from 2014 to 2016. Education: B.A. in Physics from Princeton University (1977), M.A. from Columbia University (1981), and Ph.D. from the University of Chicago (1984). She held postdoctoral positions at Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, the Institute for Theoretical Physics (Santa Barbara), and a Presidential Fellowship at UC Berkeley. Her career milestones include becoming the first woman on the physics faculty at the University of Michigan and being elected to the National Academy of Sciences (2020). Research Interests: Dark Matter and Dark Energy detection Dark Stars (first stars powered by dark matter annihilation) Primordial Black Hole formation Early universe inflationary models cosmic microwave background (CMB) experiments Paleo-detector methods using ancient minerals Publications Trends: Her recent work emphasizes observational cosmology (e.g., JWST and SPIDER experiments), dark matter detection strategies, and redefining inflationary scenarios. She has explored novel stellar phenomena like dark stars as potential seeds for supermassive black holes, and proposed interdisciplinary approaches like using minerals as paleo-detectors for neutrinos and dark matter. Awards: 2021: University of Chicago Alumni Professional Achievement Award 2019: Lilienfeld Prize for bridging cosmology and particle physics 2012: Honorary Doctorate from Stockholm University Simons Foundation Fellowship (2012) APS Fellow Advising & Grants: Supervised over 20 students and postdocs, many now leading roles in academia and industry. Grants include NSF Presidential Young Investigator Award (1990–1995) and a decade-long Stockholm University grant. Her research teams collaborate on CMB projects (Simons Observatory, LiteBIRD) and dark matter searches (DAMA/LIBRA, IceCube). She co-leads global initiatives like the Cosmic Microwave Background collaboration and paleo-detector networks. Labs & Teams: Active in the Physics Randall Lab (formerly at Michigan), the Weinberg Institute for Theoretical Physics , and the Nordita institute. Collaborates with SPIDER balloon teams and the Simons Observatory for CMB studies. Also involved in James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) analyses and mineral-based detection projects.

• Cosmology
• Astroparticle Physics
• Dark Matter
• +3 more

Jonathan Blazek is an Assistant Professor of Physics at Northeastern University's College of Science, specializing in observational and theoretical cosmology. His research focuses on large-scale astronomical surveys to understand cosmic structure and dark energy, particularly through galaxy clustering and weak gravitational lensing. He is a key member of the Dark Energy Survey and Vera C. Rubin Observatory collaborations, leading efforts to combine multi-wavelength datasets for cosmological insights. Blazek earned his Ph.D. from UC Berkeley and completed postdoctoral fellowships at EPFL (Switzerland) and Ohio State University. Education: Ph.D. in Physics, University of California, Berkeley Postdoctoral Fellowships: EPFL (Switzerland), Ohio State University Research Interests: His work centers on cosmological modeling using galaxy surveys, particularly refining analytic and numerical methods to connect observations with theoretical frameworks. Key areas include: Weak gravitational lensing and galaxy clustering Combined-probe cosmology (integrating datasets across wavelengths) Dark matter and dark energy dynamics Large-scale structure formation Publications & Grants: Blazek has authored over 50 peer-reviewed articles, including foundational work on intrinsic alignment modeling and cosmic shear analysis. He leads the NSF CAREER grant project exploring dark sector physics with galaxy surveys. His recent publications address baryonic feedback effects, CMB lensing cross-correlations, and next-generation survey methodologies. Labs & Collaborations: He contributes to the Northeastern Cosmology Group and the Dark Energy Science Collaboration, advancing projects like the Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) at Vera Rubin Observatory.

• Cosmology
• Astrophysics
• Galaxy Clustering
• +5 more

Vivian Miranda is an Assistant Professor at the C.N. Yang Institute for Theoretical Physics, Stony Brook University. Her research focuses on cosmology, particularly dark energy, weak lensing, galaxy clustering, and machine learning applications in cosmological data analysis. She collaborates with institutions like ICTP-SAIFR in Brazil and works with students and postdocs on projects involving LSST, Roman Space Telescope, and DESI surveys. Research Interests: Dark energy and cosmic acceleration Weak lensing and galaxy clustering Machine learning in cosmological simulations CMB lensing and cross-correlations Supernova observations and systematics Baryonic physics constraints Collaborations: Active partnerships with ICTP-SAIFR and Prof. Rogério Rosenfeld. Mentors students like Evan Saraivanov, Yijie Zhu, and Victoria Lloyd, with former advisees João Rebouças and Diogo Henrique. Her lab emphasizes theoretical physics, emulator development, and multi-probe cosmological analyses.

• Cosmology
• Dark Energy
• Weak Lensing
• +4 more