Matthew G. Walker

Matthew G. Walker is a Professor of Astrophysics & Cosmology at Carnegie Mellon University's Department of Physics, part of the Mellon College of Science. His research focuses on dark matter properties using dwarf galaxies, combining optical imaging, spectroscopy, and dynamical modeling. He has held academic roles since 2013, progressing from Assistant to Associate and full Professor. Previously, he conducted postdoctoral research at Harvard University (2010–13) and the University of Cambridge (2007–10).

Education: PhD in Astrophysics from the University of Michigan (2007). Professional memberships include the American Astronomical Society. Awards include the Martin and Beate Block Award (2013) and Hubble Postdoctoral Fellowship (2010).

Research interests center on dark matter's role in dwarf galaxies, exploring particle properties via gravitational interactions and substructure. Collaborations involve major facilities like Magellan telescopes, MMT, and the Very Large Telescope, plus the Sloan Digital Sky Survey IV. He investigates topics such as dark matter cusps, stellar binary fractions, and novel detection methods like wide binary stars.

Recent work includes discovering new dwarf galaxies (e.g., 'Snake in the Clouds'), analyzing Draco's dark matter distribution, and advancing modeling techniques (e.g., GravSphere code). His publications span theoretical and observational cosmology, with a focus on bridging particle physics and galactic dynamics.