Research Areas
Astrophysics & Cosmology
Research Type
Theorist
Current Projects
Theoretical & Computational Cosmology: Dark Matter, Dark Energy, Galaxy Clusters, Galaxy Formation & Evolution, Cosmological Simulations, Data Science
Biographical Sketch
As a Professor of Physics and Astronomy at Yale, Dr. Daisuke Nagai’s research bridges theory, computation, and observation to address fundamental questions in cosmology and astrophysics. As a computational cosmologist, he develops sophisticated models designed to be tested against cutting-edge observational data.
After earning his Ph.D. from the University of Chicago and serving as a Sherman Fairchild Postdoctoral Scholar at Caltech, Dr. Nagai joined the Yale faculty in 2008. His innovative work has attracted substantial funding from NASA, the National Science Foundation (NSF), and the Research Corporation for Science Advancement.
Dr. Nagai’s leadership has been central to advancing Yale’s capabilities in computation and data science. As the founding co-director of the Yale Center for Research Computing, he helped lay the foundation for computational science at Yale, guiding the development of its core research infrastructure, academic programs, and researcher support services. His influence on campus-wide strategy is also reflected in his roles as Chair of the Physics and Data Science Task Force and as a member of the Data Science Advisory Committee. In addition to these university-wide efforts, he has provided dedicated leadership within his department as Director of Graduate Studies.
Research
Professor Nagai’s research interests lie in the area of cosmology and astrophysics, specializing in theoretical and computational modeling of the structure formation of the Universe and its application to cosmology. His research group develops and uses theoretical and computational models of how galaxies and clusters of galaxies form and grow in the Universe starting from the Big Bang to today.
Research Website
Education
Ph.D., University of Chicago, 2005
Honors & Awards
Stephen Murray Distinguished Visiting Lectureship, Harvard CfA, 2018
Cottrell Scholar Award, Research Corporation, 2012
The IUPAP Young Scientist Prize in Astrophysics, 2011