My research explores the extreme endpoints of matter in the Universe: black holes and neutron stars. I am principle investigator on programs to identify electromagnetic counterparts to gravitational wave sources detected by the LIGO-Virgo laser interferometers, including the discovery in 2017 of the first neutron star merger GW170817, for which I co-led the identification of the first X-ray counterpart. This discovery was Science Magazine’s 2017 Breakthrough of the Year and my team was awarded a Top 10 Discovery of 2018 by Québec Science.

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I also lead multi-wavelength, time domain studies of growing supermassive black holes, including Sagittarius A* and M87. As a member of the multi-wavelength coordination team, I joined the Event Horizon Telescope collaboration in reporting the first direct image of a black hole’s shadow in 2019. This amazing image appeared on the front page of nearly every prominent newspaper worldwide, and I was honoured as La Presse’s Personalité de la semaine for my role in the discovery. I was also thrilled to be a part of the EHT team receiving the 2020 Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics.

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My research has been highlighted by the CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholars Award in the Gravity and the Extreme Universe Program, and a Canada Research Chair (Tier 2) in Multi-messenger Astrophysics.