Lars Bildsten, Ph.D.

Lars Bildsten is a theoretical astrophysicist and the director of the Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics (KITP) at the University of California, Santa Barbara, where he also holds the Frederick W. Gluck Chair in Theoretical Physics. His research centers on the life and death of stars, with a particular focus on stellar structure, nuclear burning and the violent explosions that mark the end of a star’s life.

Bildsten previously held research and faculty positions at the California Institute of Technology and the University of California, Berkeley. Since becoming director of KITP in 2012, he has overseen one of the most vibrant international hubs for scientific collaboration, fostering breakthroughs across the spectrum of theoretical physics. Bildsten is a winner of the Bruno Rossi Prize, the Dannie Heineman Prize for Astrophysics and the Helen B. Warner Prize for Astronomy. He is also a member of the National Academy of Sciences and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences as well as a fellow of the American Physical Society.