Daniel Holz

Daniel Holz is a Professor of Physics and Astronomy & Astrophysics at the University of Chicago, affiliated with the Enrico Fermi Institute, Kavli Institute for Cosmological Physics, and the College. His research focuses on gravitational wave astrophysics, cosmology, and black hole dynamics, contributing to major discoveries like GW150914 and GW170817 as part of the LIGO collaboration. He holds a BA from Princeton and a PhD from the University of Chicago, with postdoctoral fellowships at the Albert Einstein Institute (Germany), Kavli Institutes in Santa Barbara and Chicago, and a Richard Feynman Fellowship at Los Alamos National Laboratory.

Research interests include gravitational-wave standard sirens for cosmology, black hole-neutron star mergers, and testing general relativity. Awards include the NSF CAREER Award, Quantrell Teaching Award, and Breakthrough/Gruber Prizes (via LIGO). He chairs the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists' Science and Security Board, guiding the Doomsday Clock, and directs the UChicago Existential Risk Laboratory (XLab), addressing nuclear, climate, and AI risks.

His lab and collaborations leverage multi-messenger astronomy and advanced data analysis techniques. Notable contributions include pioneering gravitational-wave cosmology methods and advancing understanding of cosmic expansion tensions.