Gravity & the Extreme Universe
What is extreme gravity, and how can it help us understand the origin of the universe?
For most of human history, our only information about the Universe came from visible light. Later we learned to detect other forms of electromagnetic radiation like infrared and radio waves. Now we can detect gravitational waves, opening the door to new ways of observing and understanding the Universe. Astronomers, cosmologists, physicists, and computer scientists in the Gravity & the Extreme Universe program ask questions about the nature of extreme gravity, the origin and evolution of the universe, and the structure of compact objects such as black holes and neutron stars, as well as profound questions about fundamental physics and astrophysics.
RESEARCH AND SOCIETAL IMPACT HIGHLIGHTS
Leading the development of outrigger telescopes
CIFAR Fellows Matt Dobbs (McGill University), Mark Halpern (University of British Columbia), Gary Hinshaw (University of British Columbia), Co-Director Vicky Kaspi (McGill University), as well as CIFAR Fellows Ue-Li Pen (University of Toronto) and Ingrid Stairs (University of British Columbia) led the development of the new CHIME/FRB Outrigger Telescopes in the Okanagan Valley. The telescopes can obtain unprecedented precision sky localizations for hundreds of Fast Radio Bursts — mysterious, intense but short flashes of radio waves from outer space. A Catalyst Fund project further helped researchers work toward construction and develop algorithms for telescope calibration using Galactic radio pulsars, which will ultimately help to uncover even more mysteries of the cosmos.
Understanding how astronomy and machine learning can help detect neurodegeneration
By combining detection algorithms and citizen science techniques used to detect and classify faint stars and galaxies in astronomy with multi-scale optical brain imaging, CIFAR Canada AI Chairs Audrey Durand (Université Laval, Mila) and Christian Gagné (Université Laval, Mila), and CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholar Renée Hložek (University of Toronto) are pioneering early detection techniques in neurodegeneration. This group successfully leveraged insights from their CIFAR collaboration and Catalyst Fund application to propel a successful New Frontiers in Research Fund grant, and is developing the work into additional proposals to the Discovery Horizons grant program and the Schmidt Foundation.
PATH TO SOCIETAL IMPACT
We invite experts in industry, civil society, healthcare and government to join fellows in our Gravity & the Extreme Universe program for in-depth, cross-sectoral conversations that drive change and innovation.
Academic and industrial experts in biomedical data analysis and artificial intelligence and CIFAR fellows in the Gravity & the Extreme Universe program are bringing about new technological innovations by using data science techniques from astronomy and cosmology to address complex challenges in genomics and medical imaging, and vice versa.
Areas of focus:
- Finding opportunities for advanced image analysis to be deployed across disciplines
- Identifying key areas, such as image classification or data processing, where researchers and industry can collaborate.
Founded
1986
Renewal Dates
1991, 1996, 2001, 2006, 2011, 2016
Supporters
R. Howard Webster Foundation
Interdisciplinary Collaboration
Astrophysics
Astronomy
Astroparticle, computational, high energy and particle physics
Observational cosmology
CIFAR Contact
Fellows & Advisors
Program Director
Victoria M. Kaspi
Program Director
R. Howard Webster Foundation Fellow
Luis Lehner
Program Co-Director
Fellows
J. Richard Bond
Fellow
Mark C. Chen
Fellow
Matt Dobbs
Fellow
Mark Halpern
Fellow
Gary Hinshaw
Fellow
Gilbert Holder
Fellow
Vicky Kalogera
Fellow
Victoria M. Kaspi
Program Director
R. Howard Webster Foundation Fellow
Juna A. Kollmeier
Fellow
CITA
University of Toronto
Arthur B. McDonald
Associate Fellow
Julio F. Navarro
Fellow
Barth Netterfield
Fellow
Ue-Li Pen
Fellow
Harald P. Pfeiffer
Associate Fellow
Frans Pretorius
Fellow
Scott Ransom
Fellow
Kendrick Smith
Fellow
Ingrid Stairs
Fellow
Neil Turok
Associate Fellow
Advisors
Roger Blandford
Advisor
Gabriela González
Advisor
Lyman Page
Advisor
Eva Silverstein
Advisor
Scott D. Tremaine
Advisory Committee Chair
Simon White
Advisor
CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholars
Yacine Ali-Haïmoud
CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholars 2022-2024
Iair Arcavi
CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholar 2019-2021
Sarah Burke-Spolaor
CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholar 2018-2020
Maria R. Drout
CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholar 2018-2020
Daryl Haggard
CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholar 2017-2019
Renée Hložek
CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholar 2019-2021
Adrian Liu
CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholar 2018-2020
Katherine Mack
CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholars 2022-2024
Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics
Raffaella Margutti
CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholar 2019-2021
Ajith Parameswaran
CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholar 2017-2019
Shriharsh Tendulkar
CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholars 2022-2024
Tata Institute of Fundamental Research
Related News
Future Flourishing
The Future of Being Human
CIFAR unveiled three new programs that were selected from the Global Call for Ideas. These programs embody high-risk, hi...
June 06, 2023
CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholars
Earth, Space and the Unknown
CIFAR researchers Katie Mack and Heather Graham are unlocking the mysteries of Earth and Space — from the end of the u...
June 06, 2023
Brief
CIFAR Workshop on Astronomy/Cosmology and Artificial Intelligence
Optimizing AI/ML use in astronomy/cosmology, applying (astro)physics to AI's theoretical underpinnings
July 19, 2022
CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholars
When the Universe calls, Raffaella Margutti answers
CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholar makes quick decisions to catch the Universe’s most extreme events.
March 22, 2021
Advances
CIFAR fellows narrow in on origin of Fast Radio Bursts
New results from CHIME surprise and delight
September 16, 2020
Event Brief
Algorithms in Astronomy and Biomedicine
Algorithms used for astronomical research can be applied to tackle similarly complex data in biomedicine.
September 03, 2020
Gravity & the Extreme Universe
AI for Astronomy and Health
Astronomers and cosmologists are making use of powerful computer algorithms, including methods based on artificial intel...
June 30, 2020
Gravity & the Extreme Universe
Catching glimpses of the impossible
Iair Arcavi studies the most extreme events in the Universe, which regularly defy expectations and theories
March 26, 2020
Award
CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholars Renée Hložek and Adrian Liu receive Sloan Fellowships
Researchers are selected based on their accomplishments, their creativity, and their leadership potential
March 26, 2020
Award
Victoria Kaspi one of Nature’s 10
Kaspi and her work on CHIME are the focus of one of the profiles in Nature’s 10 this year, a list of “ten people who...
December 17, 2019Support Us
CIFAR is a registered charitable organization supported by the governments of Canada and Quebec, as well as foundations, individuals, corporations and Canadian and international partner organizations.