Simon Driver

Simon Driver is a Professor and ARC Laureate Fellow at the University of Western Australia (UWA), leading the Distant Universe Science Unit at the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research (ICRAR). He holds roles as Head of the Astronomy from Space node at the International Space Centre and Chair of Astronomy Australia Limited's Space Science Leads Committee. His research focuses on cosmic evolution, combining space-based (Hubble, JWST) and ground-based data (e.g., GAMA, WAVES surveys). Driver has over 300+ peer-reviewed papers and 28,000+ citations, contributing to missions like eROSITA and Euclid. He leads international teams and serves on key committees, including the Anglo-Australian Telescope Council and 4MOST Consortium.

Education & Career

PhD in Astrophysics from Cardiff University (1994). Previously held roles at Arizona State University, UNSW, ANU, and the University of St Andrews (as Lecturer, Professor, and Observatory Director). Relocated to UWA in 2011 as Winthrop Research Professor.

Research Interests

Evolution of mass, energy, and structure from the Big Bang to today. Key areas: galaxy formation, stellar mass functions, cosmic surveys (GAMA, WAVES, DEVILS), and dark matter studies. His work bridges observational astronomy with cosmological modeling, leveraging multi-wavelength datasets.

Awards & Recognition

• ARC Laureate Fellow
• Principal Investigator for GAMA and WAVES surveys

Grants & Projects

Lead investigator on projects like the Australian Keck Wide-field Imager and Unveiling the Mass of the Universe. Active in initiatives like the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope and HiVIS imaging for the SKA.

Labs & Collaborations

Leads international collaborations through ICRAR, including the Galaxy And Mass Assembly (GAMA) survey and the Wide Area VISTA Extragalactic Survey (WAVES). Engages in global missions with ESA/NASA telescopes and the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST).