Durham scientist wins £5.6m fellowship to study early Universe

Durham scientist wins £5.6m fellowship to investigate the early Universe

A ten-year Royal Society fellowship will support Durham University research into the first moments after the Big Bang and the nature of dark matter.

Durham University researcher connected with a Royal Society fellowship on the early Universe Image: Durham UniversityOriginal source

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A Durham University physicist has been awarded a £5.6 million Royal Society fellowship for a ten-year project investigating the earliest moments of the Universe.

Professor Ryan Cooke will lead a group looking for clues about what the Universe was made of shortly after the Big Bang, including possible for previously unknown light particles.

One of the big questions is dark matter, which scientists infer from its gravitational effects but still cannot directly identify. The long-term fellowship gives the Durham team time and resources to test ideas at the edge of current physics rather than chasing a quick result.