Biography

Daniel Schaerer received a physics degree from ETH Zurich in 1991, and a PhD in astrophysics from the University of Geneva in 1995. From 1996 to 1999 he was post-doc at the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore (USA) and at the Observatoire Midi-Pyrénées in Toulouse (France). In 1999 he obtained a CNRS researcher position at the now Institut de Recherche en Astronomie et Planétologie (IRAP) in Toulouse. After a SNF professorship in Geneva, he is associate professor at the Astronomy Department (Geneva Observatory) of the University of Geneva since 2008, on leave of absence from the CNRS. His current research interests cover the formation and evolution of galaxies, star formation in distant galaxies, the first galaxies, and the early Universe. He is expert in stellar population modelling, radiation transfer, and multi-wavelength observations and modelling.

He has coauthored over  400 journal and conference papers in astrophysics.

Research interests

• Multiwavelength observations of distant galaxies (using gravitational lensing)
• Star formation in the most distant galaxies
• Lyman break galaxies and Lyman-alpha emitters
• Dust and gas in distant galaxies
• Starbursts in the early Universe
• Population III stars
• Sources of cosmic reionization
• Modeling of stellar populations

Teaching

Current teaching duties at the University of Geneva include courses for Master and PhD students. Daniel Schaerer is the coordinator of teaching activities of the Astronomy Department and the Director of the Master in Astrophysics programme.