Research

In the Physics Department, students gain hands-on research experience with department faculty, innovative equipment and scientists from some of the world's top institutions. For more than a century, the department has spearheaded important discoveries in our labs and fostered generations of researchers, systems engineers, environmental scientists and biomedical engineers. Outside the department, our faculty hold leadership roles with partner institutes around the world, offering students unparalleled research and employment opportunities. 

With lab groups across many interest areas, undergraduate and graduate students can build their research experience and present, publish and win awards for their work. Research is ongoing in experimental and theoretical nuclear physics, experimental and theoretical biophysics, and high-energy astrophysics.

 


“[The university] combines the academic environment and also the research environment because GW is located in a hub of educational institutions and research centers. … The people that exist at and near the university are such fantastic scientists and personalities.”

Chryssa Kouveliotou
Professor of Astrophysics

Chryssa Kouveliotou

Faculty by Research Area


Research Facilities

 

TA Raju Timsina talks with Mark Reeves in the SEH biophysics lab, surrounded by laboratory equipment and computers
The biophysics lab in Science and Engineering Hall

 

 

The Physics Department operates out of historic Corcoran Hall and the state-of-the-art Science and Engineering Hall (SEH). Labs are outfitted with cutting-edge equipment. The department also partners with researchers from other sciences at SEH, and faculty collaborate with many of the country's top research institutions located in the Washington, D.C., area.

 


Physics Making Headlines

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GW Hailed as a Top Fulbright Producer for 2023–24

GW has been recognized as a top producer of Fulbright scholars and students for 2023–24, including Physics Professor Gerald Feldman (Norway).

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Malicious AI Activity Likely to Escalate into Daily Occurrence in 2024

Physics professor Neil Johnson's groundbreaking analysis exposes AI misuse by bad actors as over 50 nations, including the U.S., prepare for elections.

Nathalia Ramirez

CCAS Biophysics Entrepreneur Shines in International Spotlight

Biophysics alumna Nathalya Ramirez, BS ’19, CEO of a healthcare start-up, was among the finalists at the World Business Angel Investment Forum in South Africa.

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GW Hosts Priority-Setting Event for the Future of U.S. Nuclear Science

The next 10 years of nuclear physics research could see major discoveries, experts said at a livestreamed debrief.