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Prof Chris Collins

Astrophysics Research Institute

Faculty of Engineering and Technology

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Research Interests

I am Professor of Cosmology (now Emeritus) within the Astrophysics Research Institute (ARI) of LJMU and was Head of Institute between November 2016 and December 2019. I was also Acting Director in the years 2004-2007 and again between 2014-2016. I have a long established record in collaborative research with institutes worldwide. My research covers topics in observational cosmology focussing on studies of the evolution of galaxies and clusters of galaxies over cosmic time and their large-scale distribution in space. These interests probe theories of how galaxies develop from seed density perturbations in the very early Universe and also provide constraints on cosmological parameters such as the amount of dark matter and dark energy. On average my150+ peer reviewed publications attract around 100 citations per paper. Much of my work involves the analyses and publication of large astronomical surveys and has been consistently externally funded with both PDRA and PhD student support by the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) and the EU. I have supervised more than 20 PhD students, many of whom are successful career astronomers. In 2009 I was a recipient of the Royal Astronomical Society Group Achievement Award (as part of the 2dF Galaxy Redshift Survey Team). My current projects focus on the baryonic content of clusters of galaxies and analyses of both the brightest cluster galaxies and the low surface brightness emission from clusters. I am a UK Associate PI of the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (Vera C. Rubin Observatory) examining optimum extraction techniques for low surface brightness emission . I have represented LJMU at both international and national levels on many boards and committees of leading organisations and agencies, such as NASA, ESA, EU Commission and STFC. I was Chair of the SoC for the European Week of Astronomy and Space Science held in Liverpool in April 2018, which attracted 1,400 delegates and was the largest ever gathering of European astronomers and space scientists. I regularly give outreach talks to widen the subject’s popularity amongst the public. Recently, these have included: Heswall Science and Arts Festival; University of the Third Age; Chester Astronomical Society and.various other astronomical societies, cubs, scouts and faith groups; and the Liverpool-based Leg it Podcast.

Degrees

1985, Imperial College London, United Kingdom, PhD
1982, Imperial College London, United Kingdom, B.Sc. 1st class honours

Academic appointments

Science Board Member, Science and Technology Facilities Council, 2014 - present
ESA XMM Observing Time Allocation Committee, European Space Agency, 2013 - present
Grants Panel, Science and Technology Facilities Council, 2009 - 2011
Various Chair/Membership, Telescope Allocation Committees, 1998 - 2021

Postgraduate training

PPARC Advanced Research Fellow, United Kingdom, Durham University, 1992 - 1994
Research Fellow, United Kingdom, University of Edinburgh, 1985 - 1992

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