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Dr Daniel Williams

FRAS · MInstP

Research Fellow · Institute for Gravitational Research, University of Glasgow

I'm a gravitational-wave astronomer working to detect and characterise signals from colliding black holes and neutron stars using LIGO, Virgo, and KAGRA. In 2025 I coordinated sixty researchers to produce GWTC-4.0 — the most comprehensive catalogue of gravitational-wave sources ever published, more than doubling the all-time total of known events. I build open-source tools for large-scale astrophysical analysis and chair the LSC's Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee.

Email Publications ORCID Google Scholar LinkedIn Teaching Research projects

Education

2015–2019

Doctor of Philosophy in Gravitational Wave Astrophysics

University of Glasgow

2010–2015

Master in Science in Physics and Astronomy

University of Glasgow · Honours of the First Class

Career

2025–

Research Fellow

Institute for Gravitational Research, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Glasgow

2020–2025

Research Associate

Institute for Gravitational Research, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Glasgow

2019–2020

Research Assistant

Institute for Gravitational Research, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Glasgow

2017–2017

LIGO Scientific Collaboration Fellow

LIGO Livingston Observatory, LA, USA / California Institute of Technology

Leadership & community

LIGO Scientific Collaboration – Diversity Equity & Inclusion Committee Chair

2025–present · Committee member 2021–2025

GWTC-4.0 Paper Writing Team Editorial chair

2025

University of Glasgow College of Science and Engineering – Research Concordat Working Group Member

2025–present

University of Glasgow Research Strategy Committee Research staff representative

2024–present

College of Science and Engineering PDRA Network President

2023–2024

LIGO Scientific Collaboration – Gravitational Wave Transients Catalogues Working Group Parameter Estimation Lead

2023–present

LIGO Scientific Collaboration – Parameter Estimation Working Group Observing Run 4 Parameter Estimation Manager

2023–present

GW Allies Chair

2019–present

Professional memberships

International Astronomical Union

Junior Member · since 2024

Society of Research Software Engineering

Member · since 2020

Royal Astronomical Society

Fellow · since 2014

Institute of Physics

Member · since 2014

LIGO Scientific Collaboration

Member · since 2015

Awards & recognition

2024
LIGO/Virgo/Kagra CBC Award For outstanding contributions to the LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA compact binary coalescence data-analysis group.
2019
Wilton Poster Prize (Postdoc) NAM
2017
STFC Long-term Attachment grant
2016
University of Glasgow College of Science \& Engineering Science Writing Award
2015
University of Glasgow Masters Project Presentation Award
2014
Royal Astronomical Society Summer Studentship

In the media

2025
IFL Science GW150914 10th Anniversary · online
2025
Glasgow Herald GWTC-4.0 Announcement · print
2025
Yahoo News GWTC-4.0 Announcement · online
2025
BBC News Channel GW231123 Discovery Announcement · television
2020
BBC Radio GW190521 Announcement · radio