Sunny Vagnozzi
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SIGRAV Prize (2023)
Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher (2025)
Sunny Vagnozzi | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1992 (age 32–33) |
| Awards | Buchalter Prize (2021) SIGRAV Prize (2023) Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher (2025) |
| Academic background | |
| Education | B.Sc. University of Trento M.Sc. University of Melbourne Ph.D. Stockholm University |
| Doctoral advisor | Katherine Freese, Lars Bergström |
| Academic work | |
| Institutions | University of Trento |
Sunny Vagnozzi is an Italian cosmologist. He is an associate professor at the University of Trento.[1][2]
Vagnozzi is known for his contributions at the interface of cosmology, particle physics, and astrophysics, with a primary focus on determining the fundamental nature of dark matter and dark energy. He has been awarded the Buchalter Cosmology Prize for his work on dark energy,[3] is the recipient of the 2023 SIGRAV Prize,[4] and has been included in the Clarivate Highly Cited Researchers list in 2025.[5] Additionally, he is an editor of the journal Physics of the Dark Universe.[6]
Vagnozzi earned a Bachelor of Science in Physics from the University of Trento in 2012, followed by a Master of Science in Physics from the University of Melbourne in 2014. Later in 2019, he completed a Ph.D. in Theoretical Physics from Stockholm University.[7]
Career
Following his PhD, Vagnozzi joined the Kavli Institute for Cosmology at the University of Cambridge as a Newton-Kavli Fellow.[8] In 2022, he returned to the University of Trento, where he has served as assistant professor until 2025, when he received tenure and was promoted to associate professor.[1]
Media coverage
Vagnozzi's work has been highlighted by various news websites and science magazines, including Science, Science News, Quanta Magazine, New Scientist, National Geographic (Poland), Esquire, Forbes, and Scientific American.[9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16]
Research
Vagnozzi has worked on a broad array of problems at the interface of cosmology and astroparticle physics. His work has contributed to investigating the nature of dark matter and dark energy,[17][18] testing cosmic inflation,[19][20] determining the shape of the universe,[21] understanding the origins of cosmic tensions (including the Hubble tension),[22][18] using black hole observations to test gravity and fundamental physics,[23] and searching for signatures of neutrino masses in cosmological observations.[24] Additionally, his research has identified new ways for detecting dark energy in experiments on Earth,[25] and has proposed new techniques for testing gravity and searching for fifth forces by analyzing asteroid trajectories.[26] As of 2025, his work has been cited more than 14,000 times, with an h-index of 61, according to Google Scholar.[2]
Awards and honors
- 2021 – Alfredo di Braccio Prize, Accademia dei Lincei
- 2022 – Buchalter Cosmology Prize (third prize)[3]
- 2022 – Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellowship
- 2023 – SIGRAV Prize[4]
- 2025 – Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher[5]