Marijn Franx

Professor Marijn Franx is a leading astronomer at the Leiden Observatory, part of Leiden University. His research focuses on the formation and evolution of galaxies, leveraging observations from telescopes like the Hubble Space Telescope and the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). A Spinoza Prize laureate (2010), he investigates distant galaxies to understand cosmic evolution, including galaxy collisions and star formation processes. His work bridges observational and theoretical astrophysics, contributing to projects such as the FIRES survey and JWST science teams.

• Education:
  • BSc/MSc in Astronomy, Leiden University (1978–1984, cum laude)
  • PhD in Astronomy, Leiden University (1988, cum laude)
• Professional Roles:
  • Harvard Society of Fellows Junior Fellow (1988–1991)
  • Hubble Fellow at Harvard University (1991–1993)
  • Full Professor of Astronomy, University of Groningen (1993–1998)
  • Full Professor of Extragalactic Astronomy, Leiden University (1998–present)

His research interests include studying galaxies in the early universe, cosmic structure formation, and the interplay between dark matter and galaxy dynamics. He has pioneered studies of high-redshift galaxy populations and contributed to international projects like the ESO Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) science working group and NASA’s JWST science team.

Awards and Recognition:

• Spinoza Prize (Netherlands’ highest scientific honor)
• Member of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences

Advising and Grants:

• Supervised numerous PhD students, many of whom have secured prestigious academic roles.
• Recipient of the Spinoza Prize funding for JWST research and public outreach initiatives.

Labs/Teams:

• Leiden Observatory’s Galaxy Evolution Group
• JWST NIRSpec Science Team (ESA/NASA)