Prof. Dr. Bruno Leibundgut

Career

Bruno Leibundgut is an observational astronomer with main research interests in the physics of stellar explosions (supernovae) and their application in cosmology. As a graduate from the University of Basel, Switzerland, he held postdoctoral positions at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics and at the University of California, Berkeley. Since 1993 he is a staff astronomer at the European Southern Observatory in several functions, including the Director for Science. He has been a member of the High-z Supernova Search Team that discovered the accelerated expansion of the Universe.

Functions

• VLT Programme Scientist (since 2014)
• ESO Director for Science (2008-2014)
• Head of the Office for Science (2001-2008)
• Head of VLT Data Flow Group (1998-2001)

Awards

• Johannes-Geiss Fellowship at the International Space Science Institute Bern (2019)
• Breakthrough Prize for Fundamenal Physics (2015)
• Gruber Cosmology Prize (2007)