Malcolm Sambridge

Malcolm Sambridge is a Professor of Seismology and Mathematical Geophysics at the Research School of Earth Sciences (RSES), Australian National University (ANU). He holds roles including former Head of Seismology and Mathematical Geophysics (2006–2016) and has been a Fellow and Research Fellow at ANU since 1992. His research focuses on inverse problems, computational geophysics, seismic wave propagation, and statistical inference applied to Earth Sciences. He has led projects such as the Australian Passive Seismic Server and the Australian Seismometers in Schools Network (AuSIS).

Education includes a B.Sc. in Physics (1983, Loughborough University), a Certificate in Advanced Mathematics (1984, University of Cambridge), and a Ph.D. in Geophysics (1988, ANU). His career includes visiting roles at Caltech and the Carnegie Institution of Washington.

Research interests emphasize developing algorithms for geophysical inference, including the Neighbourhood Algorithm for nonlinear inversion. Key contributions include studies on Earth's inner core structure, seismic tomography, and Bayesian methods. He advises students across physics, mathematics, and Earth Sciences, focusing on computational and theoretical geophysics.

Publications span over 150 articles, with recent work on optimal transport for inversion, trans-dimensional Bayesian tomography, and seismic imaging techniques. His software tools, like pyprop8 and TerraWulf, support geophysical modeling and high-performance computing.