Roberto Trotta

Roberto Trotta obtained his PhD in physics in 2004 from the University of Geneva (Switzerland), working in theoretical cosmology. He specialised on cosmic microwave background anisotropies and their relation to non-standard physics in the early Universe, such as models for the generation of primordial cosmological perturbations, time variations of the fine structure constant and neutrino physics.

He is presently research associate at the Astrophysics Department of Oxford University, as Lockyer fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society, and a Junior Fellow of St Anne's College, Oxford. His research focuses on bringing together theory and observations, by developing and applying advanced statistical methods for the analysis and interpretation of cosmological data. He is interested in the link between cosmology and particle physics, and in novel observational techniques for dark energy and his the coordinator of the Oxford Dark Sector Initiative.

Dr Trotta is strongly involved in public outreach activities, as a member of the Science and Engineering Ambassadors scheme and of the British Association for the Advancement of Science. He has coordinated Oxford Astrophysics participation to the prestigious Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition 2006. He gives talks about cosmology and astrophysics in schools and to the general public, and is a regular contributor to several science magazines. For further information, please visit Dr Trotta's website.