BU Dark Matter Researcher Wins Award to Drive “Extraordinary Contributions” to Experimental Physics

Dark matter might be one of the most important substances in the universe—the glue that stops stars flying away from each other and ripping galaxies apart. It’s also one of the most mysterious. It’s proven so stubbornly hard to see that researchers can only guess at its existence.

Boston University physicist and Hariri Institute faculty affiliate Alex Sushkov is trying to find a way to see it. His efforts might have benefits down here on Earth too. The techniques he’s using to better peer into the void could help improve magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which is used to diagnose cancer, brain injuries, heart disease, and more. It’s work Sushkov hopes to accelerate thanks to a new award from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.

The California-based foundation has named Sushkov, a BU College of Arts & Sciences associate professor of physics, to its 2023 cohort of Experimental Physics Investigators. The recognition is given to a select group of distinguished scientists who the organization hopes will make “extraordinary contributions to the field of experimental physics.” Sushkov will receive $1.25 million over the next five years to help drive his work on improving the sensitivity of nuclear magnetic resonance detection, an imaging technique used to study the nuclei of atoms.

Read more about Sushkov’s work in this story written by Andrew Thurston, editor of BU’s The Brink.