DARK

DARK is an astrophysics research section at the Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, focusing on the 'dark Universe': what is dark matter and dark energy, how can we measure the Universe and its expansion, when did galaxies and black holes first form, and what do high energy particles and cosmic explosions tell us about the Universe and the objects within it?

 

DARK is an astrophysics research section at the Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, focusing on the 'dark Universe': what is dark matter and dark energy, how can we measure the Universe and its expansion, when did galaxies and black holes first form, and what do high energy particles and cosmic explosions tell us about the Universe and the objects within it?

DARK offers an international, vibrant, young research environment with very active workshop and visitor programs, and ample opportunity for scientific and social interaction.

DARK is the extra-galactic astrophysics and cosmology research section at the Niels Bohr Institute, and as such is a fully embedded and permanent part of the University. DARK's staff are both internally and externally funded, from more than 10 different sources.

The centre is home to 50+ research staff, PhD and MSc students, with more two thirds of international origin.

Copenhagen is a beautiful, family-friendly city with a large international community, a lively and diverse cultural scene, and a high quality of life. English is widely spoken.

 

Senior faculty (permanent)

Marianne Vestergaard Head of Section, Professor
Steen H. Hansen Deputy Head of Institute for Teaching , Professor
Jens Hjorth Professor
Irene Tamborra Professor

Junior faculty (non-permanent)

Christa Gall Associate Professor
Radoslaw (Radek) Wojtak Associate Professor 
Sarah Pearson Assistant Professor

Postdocs

Adriana Dropulic (per Oct. 1, 2025)
Aprajita Hajela
Cecilia Bacchini
Gregory Walsh
Maya Silverman (per Oct. 1, 2025)
Shashank Shalgar
Thomas Berlok (per 1. september 2025)
William Baker

Affiliate Scientists

Anja von der Linden Affiliate Assistant Professor (Stony Brook University)
Claudio Grillo Associate Professor
Tamara Davis Professor (U. Queensland)
Adriano Agnello Assistant Professor
Enrico Ramirez-Ruiz Professor
Sandra Raimundo Assistant Professor
Kristian Pedersen Professor
Arka Sarangi Assistant Professor 
Heidi Korhonen  Associate Professor

Postdocs - Associated Scientist

Antonio de Ugarte Postigo Juan de la Cierva Fellow, Astrophysics Insitute, Andalucia
Camilla Juul Hansen Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, Heidelberg
Davide Martizzi Assistant Professor
Hugo Pfister Postdoctoral researcher 
Jesús Zavala Franco Assistant Professor, University of Iceland
Katie Auchettl Assistant Professor
Luca Izzo Postdoctoral researcher

Emeriti

Holger Pedersen Associate Professor Emeritus

Research Facilitation

Aleksandra Lesniewska Research Assistant
Arthur Matthew Kadela Research Assistant
Aidan Sedgewick Postdoc 

PhD Students

Aman Nadimpalli Raju, Email: aman.raju@nbi.ku.dk 
Clara Ferreira Cores, Email: clara.cores@nbi.ku.dk 
Danial Rangavar Langeroodi
Diego Farias
Jo Verwohlt
Julie Kiel Holm, Email: julie.holm@nbi.ku.dk 
Sirui Wu
Vito Tuhtan

MSc Students

Freja Amalie Nørby
Fiona Hjorth Gammelgaard, Email: kjp806@alumni.ku.dk 
Ivan Stoyanov Kanev
Liam Mads Eichstedlund de Búrca
Joseph Romano Adorisio, Email: gfb604@alumni.ku.dk 
Marcus Albert Mynatt, Email: bqf286@alumni.ku.dk 

 

 

Here you find Scientific publications by DARK researchers and Master's theses and Ph.D. theses by DARK students.

 

 

Large collaborations

Computing

  • Local DARK cluster: ~2000 cores, 1 Pb storage
  • Access to national and international computing resources and storage
  • Apple laptops

Large collaborations

 

DARK offers Astronomy and Physics teaching and research training on Bachelor, Masters and Ph.D. level.

BSc and MSc students

The faculty at DARK teaches courses and supervises students in Astrophysics at the Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen. For the Astronomy and Physics programs and general rules of study, please refer to the University of Copenhagen sites:

PhD students

PhD projects are carried out in a dynamic international environment of daily interaction with the supervisors as well as other students, postdocs and staff at DARK. Typically projects involve state-of-the-art observations obtained at international observatories and/or new theoretical developments. Students typically complete one main project and 2 more 3 smaller projects.

In addition to research, PhD students have some teaching or other communications duties at the Niels Bohr Institute and they are required to take courses, which can be done at DARK or the NBI, through research-based independent projects, and by attending summer/winter schools or courses abroad.

  • DARK expects students to develop a significant international network of collaborators.
  • All of DARK's PhD students work on projects with researchers internationally, and they spend a significant amount of time abroad attending conferences and international schools, as well as for research stays at institutions abroad.
  • DARK's research staff are very international, and they bring the benefits of their wide scientific networks to the Centre.

In addition, DARK hosts up to 100 visitors each year who contribute to DARK science in a number of ways; they infuse ideas and stimulate activity, add their expertise to on-going projects, get inspired and develop projects.

Visit the PhD School of Science

DARK also hosts Danish and international students for long- or short term studies and short-period visits.

 

 

Visitors within science and art are an integral part of DARK. Visitors contribute to DARK science and art in a number of ways; they infuse ideas and stimulate activity, add their expertise to on-going projects, get inspired and develop projects.

In the past 10 years, DARK has hosted more than than 1000 visits from scientists all over the world, for short or long stays.

Prospective visitors should contact their scientific collaborator at DARK to arrange for the visit.

The prospective visitor's host (a scientific collaborator at DARK) will introduce the visitor to the scientific and non-scientific life at DARK.

 

 

Niels Bohr Building, Jagtvej 155B, 2. floor, 2200 København N.

Head: 

Marianne Vestergaard, Professor
Phone: +45 35 32 59 09
Email: mvester@nbi.ku.dk 

Secretary:

Helena Baungaard-Sørensen
Email: helena.baungaard@nbi.ku.dk
Phone: +45 35 32 70 14 

Katrin Hjorth
Email: khjorth@nbi.ku.dk
Phone: +45 35 33 32 49

 

 

 

Staff

Name Title Job responsibilities
Search in Name Search in Title Search in Job responsibilities
Bacchini, Cecilia Postdoc Billede af Bacchini, Cecilia
Berlok, Thomas Postdoc Billede af Berlok, Thomas
Campolmi, Irene Research Assistant Billede af Campolmi, Irene
Cold, Cecilie External, Ph.d Student Billede af Cold, Cecilie
Dropulic, Adriana Postdoc Billede af Dropulic, Adriana
Farías Hinojosa, Diego Andrés Enrolled PhD Student Billede af Farías Hinojosa, Diego Andrés
Ferreira Cores, Clara PhD Fellow Billede af Ferreira Cores, Clara
Gall, Christa Special Consultant Billede af Gall, Christa
Hajela, Aprajita Postdoc Billede af Hajela, Aprajita
Hansen, Steen Harle Professor Billede af Hansen, Steen Harle
Hjorth, Jens Professor Billede af Hjorth, Jens
Holm, Julie Kiel PhD Fellow Billede af Holm, Julie Kiel
Izzo, Luca Guest Researcher Billede af Izzo, Luca
Korhonen, Heidi Helena External Billede af Korhonen, Heidi Helena
Lesniewska, Aleksandra Lidia Postdoc Billede af Lesniewska, Aleksandra Lidia
Lomo Prieto, José Guest Researcher Billede af Lomo Prieto, José
Nørby, Freja Amalie Guest Researcher Billede af Nørby, Freja Amalie
Pearson, Sarah Assistant Professor Billede af Pearson, Sarah
Pedersen, Kristian External Billede af Pedersen, Kristian
Raimundo, Sandra External Researcher Billede af Raimundo, Sandra
Raju, Aman Nadimpalli PhD Fellow Billede af Raju, Aman Nadimpalli
Rangavar Langeroodi, Danial Research Assistant Billede af Rangavar Langeroodi, Danial
Sarangi, Arka Guest Researcher Billede af Sarangi, Arka
Sedgewick, Aidan Postdoc Billede af Sedgewick, Aidan
Silverman, Maya Postdoc Billede af Silverman, Maya
Tuhtan, Vito PhD Fellow Billede af Tuhtan, Vito
Vanitcharenthum, Patsrikasem Guest Researcher Billede af Vanitcharenthum, Patsrikasem
Verwohlt, Jo Academic Research Staff Billede af Verwohlt, Jo
Vestergaard, Marianne Professor Billede af Vestergaard, Marianne
Walsh, Gregory Vincent Postdoc Billede af Walsh, Gregory Vincent
Wojtak, Radoslaw Jan Associate Professor Assistant professor Billede af Wojtak, Radoslaw Jan
Wu, Sirui PhD Fellow Billede af Wu, Sirui
de Búrca, Liam Mads Eichstedlund Guest Researcher Billede af de Búrca, Liam Mads Eichstedlund

Secretary:
Helena Baungaard-Sørensen
Email: Helena.baungaard@nbi.ku.dk 
Phone: +45 35 32 70 14 

Head: 
Marianne Vestergaard, Professor
Phone: +45 35 32 59 09
Email: mvester@nbi.ku.dk