Luciano Rezzolla

Luciano Rezzolla is the Chair of Theoretical (Relativistic) Astrophysics and Director at the Institute for Theoretical Physics (ITP) of Goethe University Frankfurt, Germany. He also holds the prestigious Andrews Professorship of Astronomy at Trinity College Dublin, becoming the first non-Irish recipient of this honor. His research focuses on black hole dynamics, neutron stars, and relativistic plasma physics using Einstein’s theory of general relativity. Key contributions include leading the BlackHoleCam project, which captured the first images of supermassive black holes M87* (2019) and Sgr A* (2022) via the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) collaboration. He is an ERC grant recipient, securing both a Synergy Grant (2014) and an Advanced Grant (2021) for studies on relativistic jets (JETSET).

Rezzolla’s work bridges theoretical models and observational data, including plasma accretion dynamics and gravitational wave predictions. He authored Relativistic Hydrodynamics (Oxford UP, with Olindo Zanotti) and a public-outreach book The Irresistible Attraction of Gravity, translated into multiple languages. His recognitions include the NSF Diamond Achievement Award for the 2019 black hole image and leadership roles at the Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies (FIAS) as Senior Fellow.

• Grants & Collaborations: ERC Synergy Grant (BlackHoleCam), ERC Advanced Grant (JETSET), EHT Collaboration
• Labs & Affiliations: ITP, FIAS, Trinity College Dublin
• Key Projects: First black hole imaging, relativistic jet physics, gravitational wave analysis