Vitor Cardoso
Co-Investigator
I am a theoretical physicist working at the interface of strong gravity, black holes, and gravitational waves. I serve as Villum Investigator and Director of the Center of Gravity at the Niels Bohr Institute in Copenhagen, and I am also a Distinguished Professor at Instituto Superior Técnico (IST) in Lisbon.
My research focuses on understanding the deep structure of Einstein’s field equations, exploring the dynamics of black holes in realistic astrophysical environments, and using gravitational-wave observations to test the foundations of gravity. Together with my group, I aim to uncover new signatures of strong-gravity phenomena and to probe alternative theories of gravity through precise observation.
I direct the Center of Gravity (2025–2031) and lead the Strong Group at the Niels Bohr Institute (2022–2027). I previously headed the Physics Department at IST (2020–2022) and chaired the COST Action GWverse, dedicated to gravitational waves, black holes, and fundamental physics. I also serve on the boards of major scientific initiatives, including ESA’s LISA mission and the European Center for Astroparticle Theory.
I received the ULisboa Award in 2024 for my contributions to theoretical physics and scientific progress and was named an IST Distinguished Professor in 2023. I was elected to the Lisbon Academy of Sciences in 2022 and have been awarded major European Research Council funding, including an ERC Advanced Grant (2022–2027). I also serve as a Villum Investigator (2022–2027) and have held appointments such as a DNRF Chair at the Niels Bohr Institute (2023–2025), visiting positions at CERN, the Perimeter Institute, and Waseda Institute of Advanced Study, and the Van der Waals Professorial Chair in Amsterdam. I am honored to have been awarded the Ordem de Sant’Iago da Espada by the President of Portugal.
Contact
Simons Collaboration ON Black Holes and Strong Gravity 