Profile image for Alan Duffy

Professor Alan Duffy

Pro Vice-Chancellor Flagship Initiatives
PHD Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of Manchester, United Kingdom; Masters of Physics, University of Manchester, United Kingdom

Biography

As PVC Flagship Initiatives, Professor Duffy is tasked with driving large and ambitious transdisciplinary research across our flagship research areas by actively engaging with external organisations (including government, industry, NGOs) to identify large-scale opportunities that require university-wide collaboration and the formation of coalitions of universities and partners.

Alan has a background in astrophysics/space, as the inaugural Director of the Space Technology and Industry Institute at Swinburne he helped communities and companies solved their challenges on Earth through space, with multidisciplinary teams across the University's domains of excellence in aerospace engineering, data science / AI, astrophysics, and material science. 

His research background is in creating simulated universes on supercomputers to understand how galaxies like the Milky Way form within vast clouds of dark matter, using SPH and N-Body+SAM techniques. He then tries to find this dark matter as a Chief Investigator of SABRE, the world’s first dark matter detector in the Southern Hemisphere, housed in the Stawell Underground Physics Laboratory. As Chief Investigator in the ARC Centre of Excellence for Dark Matter Particle Physics, he utilises a full range of other observational experiments (including microlensing, gamma-ray emission and galaxy velocity field tracers) to constrain the properties of dark matter.

With a long-standing interest in how to best present these discoveries to academic and general public audiences, Alan has regular segments on ABC Breakfast TV, Ten’s The Project and ABC TripleJ radio as well as in live talks, classroom visits and social media. Visualisations of the model universes can aid significantly in understanding the physics at play in forming a galaxy. Some of these images/videos, created with colleagues from around the world, have been used in a planetarium show shown in 148 theatres worldwide. 

Research interests

Advanced Statistics and Big Data; Cosmology; Galaxy Formation; Scientific Computing and Visualisation; Dark Matter; Astronomy; Astrophysics; Physics

PhD candidate and honours supervision

Higher degrees by research

Accredited to supervise Masters & Doctoral students as Principal Supervisor.

Honours

Available to supervise honours students.

Fields of Research

  • Cosmology And Extragalactic Astronomy - 510103
  • High Energy Astrophysics And Galactic Cosmic Rays - 510106

Teaching areas

Physics;Astrophysics

Awards

  • 2020, National, Academic of the Year , Australian Space Awards
  • 2019, Swinburne, VC Award for Inclusion and Diversity (highly commended), Swinburne University of Technology
  • 2019, Swinburne, VC Award for Community Engagement, Swinburne University of Technology
  • 2018, National, Eureka Promoting Understanding of Australian Science Research , Australian Museum
  • 2017, National, Victorian Tall Poppy Award , Australian Institute of Physics
  • 2017, Swinburne, VC Award for Higher Education Teaching Excellence (Highly Commended), Swinburne University of Technology
  • 2017, Swinburne, VC Award for Community Engagement , Swinburne University of Technology
  • 2017, Swinburne, Teaching Excellence Award x2 (Physics 10001 and Communication for Scientists), Swinburne University of Technology
  • 2016, National, Promoting Understanding of Australian Science Research (National Finalist), Eurekas / Australian Museum
  • 2016, National, Club Melbourne Fellowship (Finalist), Club Melbourne Ambassadors
  • 2015, National, Australian of the Day, Commbank
  • 2013, National, Louise Webster Prize (commendation), Astronomical Society of Australia
  • 2013, National, Fresh Science Award (State Finalist), Science In Public
  • 2012, Other, Best Publication by Early Career Researcher, University of Western Australia
  • 2011, Other, Research Development Award, University of Western Australia
  • 2006, International, Marie Curie Fund (Early Training Scheme), European Union
  • 2004, International, Erasmus Fund (European Exchange Program), European Union
  • 2001, Other, Major Science Award, University of Manchester
  • 2001, Other, Entrance Scholarship, University of Manchester

Further information

  • https://github.com/astroduff
  • http://theconversation.com/profiles/alan-duffy-95986

Publications

Also published as: Duffy, Alan; Duffy, A.; Duffy, A. R.; Duffy, Alan R.
This publication listing is provided by Swinburne Research Bank. If you are the owner of this profile, you can update your publications using our online form.

Recent research grants awarded

  • 2024: Stimuli-Responsive Soft Robotics *; Defence Science Institute
  • 2023: Australian Space Manufacturing Network (ASMN) *; Modern Manufacturing Initiative - Manufacturing Collaboration Stream
  • 2022: AI and Remote Sensing for Water Leak Detection *; EY Business Solutions Fund Scheme
  • 2022: Microgravity Reactors *; Australian National Fabrication Facility Limited
  • 2021: Commercialisation of Space Vehicle Manufacturing Capability for Australian Export using Titomic’s TKF Process *; MMI Manufacturing Translation Stream Space Priority Grant
  • 2021: Passive Lunar Dust Mitigation Collaboration *; Commonwealth Scientific & Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO)
  • 2021: Responsible AI in Space *; SmartSat CRC Fund Scheme
  • 2021: Satellite imagery to support management of remote operations *; EY Business Solutions Fund Scheme
  • 2020: (Student) Mineral Processing of Lunar Regolith using Concentrated Solar Energy *; Commonwealth Scientific & Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO)
  • 2020: ARC Centre of Excellence for Dark Matter Particle Physics *; ARC Centre of Excellence Scheme
  • 2020: Oxygen and Structural Materials Production from Lunar Regolith - Student *; Commonwealth Scientific & Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO)
  • 2019: Construction of SABRE, Australia’s first full-scale dark matter detector *; ARC Linkage Infrastructure and Equipment Scheme
  • 2019: Immersive Science III: Astronomy for All Australians *; Department of Industry, Innovation and Science
  • 2019: Measuring critical background in the Australian search for dark matter *; ARC Discovery Projects Scheme
  • 2018: Full scale detector system for the first Australian dark matter experiment *; ARC Linkage Infrastructure and Equipment Scheme
  • 2018: Immersive Science II: Revealing the Invisible Universe *; Department of Industry, Innovation and Science
  • 2017: ARC Centre of Excellence for All Sky Astrophysics in 3 Dimensions *; ARC Centre of Excellence Scheme
  • 2017: ARC Centre of Excellence for Gravitational Wave Discovery *; ARC Centre of Excellence Scheme
  • 2017: Immersive Science: The Next Frontier in Australian Astronomy *; Department of Industry, Innovation and Science
  • 2017: The First Southern Hemisphere Experiment on Dark Matter *; ARC Linkage Infrastructure and Equipment Scheme
  • 2014: ANDS/NeCTAR eResearch Infrastructure Project, Theoretical Astrophysical Observatory (TAO) *; Astronomy Australia Limited

* Chief Investigator