Renée Hložek

Renée Hložek
Renée Hložek in Toronto, October 2019
Born (1983-11-15) 15 November 1983
Alma materUniversity of Cape Town

University of Pretoria

University of Oxford
Scientific career
InstitutionsUniversity of Toronto
Princeton University
ThesisProbing the early universe and dark energy with multi-epoch cosmological data
Doctoral advisorJo Dunkley
Websitehttps://www.reneehlozek.com

Renée Hložek (born 15 November 1983) is a South African cosmologist and Associate Professor of Astronomy & Astrophysics at the Dunlap Institute for Astronomy & Astrophysics at the University of Toronto.[1] Her research focuses on theoretical and observational cosmology, including measurements of the cosmic microwave background, constraints on axion dark matter, Type Ia supernova cosmology, and the development of statistical methods for large astronomical surveys. She is a member of the Atacama Cosmology Telescope collaboration and the Simons Observatory, and serves as Spokesperson for the Vera C. Rubin Observatory Dark Energy Science Collaboration (DESC).[2]Hložek is bisexual.[3]

Hložek's research includes using cosmic microwave background data to constrain ultralight axion dark matter models, work that is among her most highly cited.[4] She is also a member of the Simons Observatory collaboration.[5] As part of her work on supernova cosmology with the Vera C. Rubin Observatory, she co-led the Photometric LSST Astronomical Time-series Classification Challenge (PLAsTiCC), a community data challenge for photometric supernova classification.[6]

Early life and education

Hložek studied mathematics at the University of Pretoria and the University of Cape Town graduating in 2008.[7][8] During her undergraduate studies she worked on dark energy.[9] She completed her PhD at the University of Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar in 2011.[10][8] Her thesis, "Probing the early universe and Dark Energy with multi-epoch cosmological data", used the Atacama Cosmology Telescope and Sloan Digital Sky Survey.[11] Her doctoral advisor was Jo Dunkley.[11] During her time at Oxford, she appeared on Chris Lintott's Pub Astronomy podcast and 365 Days of Astronomy.[12][13]

Research and career

After her PhD Hložek joined Princeton University as a Lyman Spitzer Jr. Postdoctoral Research Fellow.[7] At Princeton University she prepared for the polarisation-sensitive Atacama Cosmology Telescope.[7] In 2012 she was appointed a Spitzer-Cotsen Fellow at Princeton University.[7][14] At Princeton she took part in a prison teaching initiative, and formed the Hope-Princeton exchange to bring young black women into Princeton's astronomy departments.[7][15] She took part in the Story Collider.[16] In 2013 she took part in the Science Train started by Lucianne Walkowicz at Princeton, where she took to the New York City Subway to talk to the public about astronomy.[17]

She joined the Dunlap Institute for Astronomy & Astrophysics in 2016.[18] She continues to work with the polarisation instrument on the Atacama Cosmology Telescope, alongside data from Planck and Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe and BICEP and Keck Array.[19] She looks to classify radio transient signals using the Algonquin 46m radio telescope.[20] She has worked with the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics.[21] In 2017 she took part in the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research Untangling the Cosmos event.[22] In 2020 she was named a CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholar in 2019,[23] awarded a Sloan Research Fellowship,[24] and the Rutherford Memorial Medal in 2024. She is the Spokesperson for the Vera C. Rubin Dark Energy Science Collaboration (DESC).[25]

Hložek was named a TED Fellow in 2012 and a Senior Fellow in 2014,[26] however she resigned the fellowship in 2024.[27] Her contribution to TEDed "The death of the universe" has been viewed 1.1 Million times.[28][29] She has spoken at several TED events, including the 2014 TED conference in Vancouver.[30][31][32][33] She takes part in several activities to improve gender balance in science.[34][35][36][37][38] She co-founded the Hope Scholarship to support South African women in STEM, and serves as a member of the Schmidt Science Fellows Academic Council.[39]


Awards and honours

References

  1. ^ "Prof. Renée Hložek". Dunlap Institute for Astronomy & Astrophysics. Retrieved 22 February 2026.
  2. ^ "Organization". LSST Dark Energy Science Collaboration. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
  3. ^ "Renee Hlozek". 500 Queer Scientists. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
  4. ^ Hložek, Renée; Marsh, David J. E.; Grin, Daniel (2018). "Using the Full Power of the Cosmic Microwave Background to Probe Axion Dark Matter". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 476 (3): 3063–3085. arXiv:1708.05681. doi:10.1093/mnras/sty271.
  5. ^ "Renée Hložek". University of Toronto Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics. Retrieved 22 February 2026.
  6. ^ The PLAsTiCC team (2018). "The Photometric LSST Astronomical Time-series Classification Challenge (PLAsTiCC): Data set". arXiv:1810.00001 [astro-ph.IM].
  7. ^ a b c d e University, Princeton. "Renée Hlozek - Society of Fellows in the Liberal Arts". www.princeton.edu. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
  8. ^ a b c d "Renée Hlozek | TED Fellow | TED". www.ted.com. Archived from the original on 15 August 2023. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
  9. ^ "Renee Hlozek | University of Toronto - Academia.edu". utoronto.academia.edu. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
  10. ^ "Renee Hlozek | University of Oxford Department of Physics". www2.physics.ox.ac.uk. Archived from the original on 1 May 2021. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
  11. ^ a b "Theses | Atacama Cosmology Telescope". act.princeton.edu. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
  12. ^ "365 Days of Astronomy". 365 Days of Astronomy. 14 November 2010. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
  13. ^ "Welcome pubastronomy.com - BlueHost.com". www.pubastronomy.com. Archived from the original on 25 October 2020. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
  14. ^ Hlozek, Renée (2014). "Small-scale CMB cosmology ACT, Planck and beyond" (PDF). Cornell University. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
  15. ^ "Hope-Princeton Exchange | TED Blog". blog.ted.com. 26 July 2013. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
  16. ^ "Renee Hlozek: Who Looks Like A Scientist?". The Story Collider. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
  17. ^ Lemonick, Michael D. "Ride the Science Train—aka the New York Subway". Time. ISSN 0040-781X. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
  18. ^ "Renée Hložek | Astrophysicist, Cosmology Theorist And Astrostatistics Expert |". Successness. 13 November 2015. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
  19. ^ "TAP Colloquium: Dr. Renée Hlozek | Lunar and Planetary Laboratory | The University of Arizona". www.lpl.arizona.edu. 10 August 2017. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
  20. ^ "Renee Hlozek | SOSCIP". SOSCIP. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
  21. ^ "Renee Hlozek - Inside The Perimeter". Inside The Perimeter. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
  22. ^ "Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow - CIFAR : CIFAR". www.cifar.ca. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
  23. ^ Tarswell, Emma (4 September 2019). "Meet the 2019-2021 cohort of CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholars". CIFAR. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
  24. ^ "Renée Hložek awarded Sloan Research Fellowship". www.utoronto.ca. Retrieved 13 February 2020.
  25. ^ Collaboration, LSST Dark Energy Science. "Organization". LSST Dark Energy Science Collaboration. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
  26. ^ "Dr Renée Hlozek, Postdoctoral Fellow at Princeton University on TED - Womanthology". Womanthology. 25 March 2014. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
  27. ^ McGreal, Chris (24 January 2024). "Ted fellows resign from organisation after Bill Ackman named as speaker". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 1 February 2024.
  28. ^ "The death of the universe - Renée Hlozek". TED-Ed. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
  29. ^ Popova, Maria (16 July 2015). "The Science of How the Universe Will End, in a Poetic Animation". Brain Pickings. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
  30. ^ TED Archive (25 August 2017), The making of cosmic soup | Renee Hlozek, retrieved 27 May 2018
  31. ^ TED Archive (12 December 2017), Making sense of everything we know about space | Renée Hlozek, retrieved 27 May 2018
  32. ^ TEDx Talks (25 March 2014), Disruptive cosmology | Renee Hlozek | TEDxPrincetonU, retrieved 27 May 2018
  33. ^ TEDxYouth (27 February 2014), Cosmology- Discovering the Unknown: Renee Hlozek at TEDxSpenceSchool, retrieved 27 May 2018
  34. ^ "Renee Hlozek". Ignite - Global Fund for Women. 6 January 2015. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
  35. ^ "032: Strong Women in Science: Cosmologist Prof. Renee Hlozek | The Strong Women's Club". www.thestrongwomensclub.com. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
  36. ^ "Women in Science, Interview with Renee Hlozek, Princeton University Cosmologist & TED Fellow | Lady Paragons". ladyparagons.com. Archived from the original on 1 May 2021. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
  37. ^ "The Real Deal: Renee Hlozek, Cosmologist". highheelsinthelab.blogspot.co.uk. 30 September 2013. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
  38. ^ "The Strong Women's Club: Fitness business in depth. Health and wellness as tools for success for business women, corporations, female entrepreneurs. : 032: Strong Women in Science: Cosmologist Prof. Renee Hlozek". thestrongwomensclub.libsyn.com. Archived from the original on 30 April 2021. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
  39. ^ a b c "Professor Renée Hložek". Schmidt Science Fellows. Retrieved 22 February 2026.
  40. ^ "Renée Hložek awarded Rutherford Memorial Medal by Royal Society of Canada". University of Toronto. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
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