Dr Tamara Davis

ROLE

Astrophysicist

Research/Job Area

Tamara is an astrophysicist who tests new fundamental physics to try to explain the elusive “dark energy” that’s accelerating the universe. She’s measured time-dilation in distant supernovae, helped make one of the largest maps of the distribution of galaxies in the universe, and is now measuring how supermassive black holes have grown over the last 12 billion years. She led the Dark Theme within the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for All-sky Astrophysics, and is now helping manage the international Dark Energy Survey, involving over 400 researchers on 4 continents.

Message for the Public

We’re using thousands of supernovae to measure the acceleration of the universe so we can try to figure out what dark energy is. This is exciting because dark energy appears to have a sort of anti-gravity effect — it seems to make gravity push instead of pull. If we can learn how to harness that it may give us new methods to produce energy, or new types of propulsion.

Favourite Food

Breakfast cereal with yoghurt, nuts, and fruit. (Sorry, that’s an honest answer!)