Dr Cullan Howlett

Researcher biography
I am a Senior Lecturer in Cosmology in the School of Mathematics and Physics at the University of Queensland, and recipient of the 2026 Pawsey Medal from the Australian Academy of Science. My research focuses on mapping the positions and motions of millions of galaxies to understand how our Universe has evolved since the Big Bang — and to shed light on the mysterious dark matter and dark energy that make up 95% of everything in it.
I work on some of the largest galaxy surveys ever undertaken including
- DESI (the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument) — a project mapping tens of millions of galaxies across the Universe.
- 4HS (the 4MOST Hemisphere Survey) — a new southern-sky survey that began observations in 2026, in which I lead the cosmology team
To analyse the enormous datasets these surveys produce, my team develops cutting-edge computing and statistical tools — techniques for making sense of extraordinarily large and complex data that are increasingly finding uses beyond astronomy.
Academic Background
- Undergraduate: MPhys 1st Class Honours - University of Sussex, 2008-2012
- Postgraduate: PhD - University of Portmouth, 2012-2016
- Research Associate - University of Western Australia, 2015-2019
- Research Fellow in Cosmology - University of Queensland, 2019-