Nicolle Bell is a theoretical physicist whose research lies at the interface of particle physics, astrophysics and cosmology, with particular expertise in dark matter and neutrino physics. After completing her doctorate, Bell spent three years as a Research Fellow at the Fermilab Center for Particle Astrophysics, Illinois, U.S.A. She then received a Sherman Fairchild Prize Fellowship at the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, U.S.A, returning to Australia in 2007. At the University of Melbourne she has been Theory Program leader of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Dark Matter Particle Physics since 2020. Bell became President of the Australian Institute of Physics in 2023.
"Professor Nicole Bell is an outstanding theoretical astroparticle physicist who has made significant contributions in the areas of dark matter and particle theory, matter-antimatter asymmetries and neutrino astrophysics and cosmology. Her work has helped shape the interpretation of Large Hadron Collider searches for dark matter, using physically self-consistent descriptions of dark matter interactions. She has explored the link between dark matter and matter-antimatter asymmetries and examined whether the accumulation of dark matter in old neutron stars can result in gravitational collapse to black holes. She has also used cosmology and astrophysics to constrain the properties of neutrinos and has examined whether dark matter annihilation can account for unexplained galactic gamma ray and antimatter signals." [from https://www.science.org.au/supporting-science/awards-and-opportunities-2/honorific-awardees/2020-awardees#millis 7/5/2024]
2001
2001
Award - Bragg Gold Medal, Australian Institute of Physics
2001
2001
Education - PhD, University of Melbourne
2001
2004
Career position - Research Fellow, Theoretical Astrophysics Group, Fermilab Center for Particle Astrophysics, Illinois, U.S.A
2004
2006
Career position - Sherman Fairchild Prize Fellowship, Kellogg Radiation Laboratory and the Theoretical Astrophysics Group, California Institute of Technology. Pasadena, California, U.S.A.
2011
2020
Career position - Chief Investigator, Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Particle Physics at the Terascale
2012
2012
Award - ARC Future Fellowship
2016
Award - Fellow, American Physical Society
2020
Award - Fellow, Australian Institute of Physics
2020
Career position - Professor, University of Melbourne
2020
Career position - Theory Program leader, ARC Centre of Excellence for Dark Matter Particle Physics
2020
2020
Award - Nancy Millis Medal for Women in Science (jointly), Australian Academy of Science
2021
2023
Career position - Vice-President, Australian Institute of Physics
2023
Career position - Divisional Associate Editor, Physical review letters
2023
2024
Career position - President, Australian Institute of Physic