We use big machines and computers to study how stars that blow up in space create the stuff we are made of.

The carbon in your DNA, the oxygen you are breathing, and the indium in the computer screen you are using right now—all were forged during the lives and explosive deaths of stars. Our research seeks to answer a fundamental question: “What is the origin of the chemical elements?” The rarest elements, such as gold, silver, and platinum, are created in the universe’s most violent explosions, including supernovae and neutron star mergers. We aim to determine precisely what comes out of these extreme environments, using a combination of experimental, theoretical, and observational approaches.

We collaborate with researchers worldwide, proposing and conducting experiments at leading nuclear physics facilities, including TRIUMF (Canada), RIKEN (Japan), GSI (Germany), FRIB, Argonne National Lab, and TUNL (United States). These experiments allow us to recreate the nuclear processes that happen in the most exotic stellar explosions in the universe.

Science should be accessible to everyone. Our group engages with the public through lectures, hands-on workshops for students, and collaborations with science festivals both in Canada and internationally. Through these initiatives, we aim to inspire curiosity about the universe and bring the story of the stars closer to all audiences.