Dr. Anna Nierenberg is a distinguished Cosmology Professor at the University of California, Merced, where she leads groundbreaking research into the fundamental nature of the universe. Her appointment at UC Merced represents a significant advancement in her academic career following previous research positions at the University of California Irvine and connections with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. An expert in gravitational lensing techniques, she has established herself as an emerging leader in the field of cosmology with a specific focus on dark matter investigations. Her work bridges theoretical astrophysics and observational astronomy, leveraging advanced instrumentation to probe some of the most profound mysteries of the cosmos.
Dr. Nierenberg's innovative research program has received significant recognition through her recent $867,277 NSF CAREER award for the project An Order of Magnitude Improvement in Measurements of the Physical Properties of Dark Matter, which will enable transformative advances in our understanding of dark matter's fundamental properties. She and her laboratory are pioneering the use of gravitationally lensed quasars to study dark matter through high-spatial-resolution spectroscopy, with plans to measure positions and flux ratios for 200 multiply lensed systems—an order of magnitude increase over existing measurements. Her approach leverages cutting-edge facilities including the UC's Keck Observatory, where she has secured significant telescope time for detailed observations. These measurements will provide unprecedented insights into the physical nature of dark matter, testing competing theoretical models and potentially revolutionizing our understanding of cosmic structure formation.
Beyond her research contributions, Dr. Nierenberg is deeply committed to educational outreach and mentoring the next generation of scientists through training postdoctoral scholars, graduate students, and developing STEM curricula for elementary school students through the Bobcat Summer STEM Academy. She is actively involved in developing new course materials in General Relativity and sharing her research through public lecture series to engage the broader community with cutting-edge cosmological discoveries. With several new space telescopes coming online in the near future, including advanced instruments in the Atacama Desert, her research program is poised to take advantage of unprecedented observational capabilities. Dr. Nierenberg continues to expand the horizons of cosmological research, with her upcoming colloquium at the Carnegie Observatories in October 2025 representing the next phase of her influential scholarly contributions to understanding the universe's fundamental building blocks.
