Henk Hoekstra

Henk Hoekstra

Professor in observational cosmology, Leiden University

I am an observational cosmologist that aims to shed light on the nature of dark matter and dark energy—the main ingredients of the Universe we seem to lack a good explanation for. To explore the dark side of the universe I use the bending of light rays by matter, a technique called weak gravitational lensing. Extracting the information from large imaging surveys is challenging, requiring careful calibration and corrections for instrumental effects. The inference of parameters poses challenges of its own. I have contributed to all aspects of the analysis chain thanks to leading roles in a number of ground-based projects. Now I am embarking on the next step in this journey: the harvesting of the vast and rich data provided by Euclid, an ESA mission to explore the dark universe. I coordinate the work on weak gravitational lensing for this large international project. Finally, I engage with the general public through lectures and collaborations with leading artists.