Astronomer, Incoming Assistant Professor at CU Boulder
Allison Matthews

Hello! I’m Allison.

Radio astronomer · Galaxy evolution researcher · Cosmic ray enthusiast · Maine native

News: I will be joining the University of Colorado Boulder as an Assistant Professor in the Astrophysical and Planetary Sciences Department starting January 2027!

About Me

I am currently a Carnegie/Vera Rubin Fellow at the Carnegie Observatories in Pasadena, CA. I got my PhD from the University of Virginia, where I was an NSF Graduate Research Fellow and NRAO Grote Reber Fellow. I studied mathematics and physics in undergrad at Lafayette College, where I was introduced to astronomy through the study of pulsars. I grew up along the beautiful coast of Maine and love to spend my free time outdoors.

Research Interests

MeerKAT composite image
Very broadly, I like combining radio observations with other wavelengths to learn about our universe. I have been especially interested in using radio emission as a dust-unbiased tracer of star formation---both locally and across cosmic time. Locally, I use radio emission to constrain the transport of cosmic rays to better understand their influence in the growth and evolution of galaxies. Far away, I make statistical models of faint populations of radio sources to constrain the cosmological evolution of galaxies. Recently, I've combined these models with optical/NIR spectra to calibrate SFR diagnostics across various environments. Looking ahead, I am particularly excited about using next-generation, high-sensitivity radio observations to place tighter constraints on cosmic ray transport models in nearby galaxies.