Gabriele Montefalcone
I am a Ph.D. candidate in physics at the University of Texas at Austin, studying theoretical cosmology. My research is driven by the conviction that the cosmos itself is an unparalleled laboratory for fundamental physics.
Broadly speaking, I work on developing theoretical frameworks and data analysis methods to extract signatures of new physics from cosmological observations, such as the cosmic microwave background and large-scale structure.
In particular, my work has focused on tackling key open questions about the properties of cosmic neutrinos and other light relics, the particle nature of
dark matter and its possible interactions with the visible sector, and the primordial conditions that seeded the structure we observe today.
These efforts combine new theoretical approaches and data-driven methodology, with the overarching goal of fully leveraging current and upcoming observations of the cosmic microwave background, large-scale structure, and the 21-cm signal as probes of new physics.
To see a full list of my papers and most recent publications, please visit my InspireHEP page at this link. For a detailed overview of my academic background and professional experience, you can also find my Curriculum Vitae on the next page.
Whenever I am not immersed in physics, I am out running. It is my daily ritual—a rhythm and discipline that brings clarity and balance to everything I do. In my remaining free time, I enjoy cooking Italian dishes to share with friends and spending time outdoors, whether hiking in nature or exploring the backroads on my motorcycle.
Currilucum Vitae
See my CV below for a full list of my papers, research presentations and visits, as well as my teaching experience, outreach activities and more.
Scientific Community Engagement
I believe that research and teaching thrive when shared beyond traditional boundaries. With this in mind, I have led initiatives that create accessible learning tools and foster dialogue across physics subfields. The two projects below are the ones I am most proud of and reflect my commitment to broadening participation, sparking curiosity, and building bridges within the scientific community.
With CMBverse, I mentor a team of high school and undergraduate students in creating interactive animations that bring the physics of the Cosmic Microwave Background to life. These tools make learning cosmology more engaging and intuitive by letting students directly visualize the impact of parameters in the standard cosmological model. In the future, we plan to extend this to other important cosmological probes, such as the matter power spectrum and the 21-cm power spectrum. If this is something that interests you, please do not hesitate to reach out!
As the founder and organizer of Physics Concerto, I have created a seminar series that encourages graduate students to step outside their specialization and communicate advanced topics to peers in other fields. Each talk is given by graduate students, crafted to be accessible to peers outside their specialization. The goal is not only to share knowledge but also to spark new research ideas and to provide a space between broad public lectures and technical research seminars.
My ArXiv Readings
Here you can find a list of Arxiv papers I've found interesting, organized by year and month. It's a personal selection reflecting my interests, not an expert classification, as I'm just sharing what catches my eye in the world of academia. I tipically update this page weekly and at worst at the end of each month.
2025
2024
2023
Media & Press
A collection of news articles, interviews, and videos featuring my research work, and my past as a professional track athlete.
News Articles
Published by: Media-Inaf | Date: December 16, 2024
Published by: Phys.org | Date: November 30, 2024
Published by: UT Austin - College of Natural Sciences | Date: November 21, 2024
Published by: Vita-Sportiva | Date: August 24, 2023
Videos & Podcasts
Published by: Cosmology from Home | Date: June 30, 2024
Published by: Neutrinos from Home | Date: April 15, 2024
Past Athletic Life
While pursuing my physics education, I lived a parallel life as a track and field athlete. What started as a teenage fascination at 13 evolved into a 15-year career that took me from local tracks in Italy to Princeton, then Texas, and eventually competing on my own at the professional level.
Along the way, I experienced the full spectrum of athletics — national teams, international competitions from China to Finland, and the daily grind of training with an Olympic dream that, despite my best efforts, would ultimately remain just barely out of reach.
The 400-meter hurdles captured my heart like no other event, a mesmerizing combination of rhythm and flow, precision and power. Hurdling is like mastering a complex dance with an ever-changing tempo — a fine balance between focus and adaptability, trusting your body to glide over each barrier while already looking ahead to the next.
Every race presented a new puzzle to solve: adjusting stride patterns for conditions, finding that perfect rhythm between barriers, constantly recalibrating the equation of speed versus technique.
Below, I've shared some of my major achievements, but the true blessing was the journey itself — the people I met, the places I traveled, and the lessons I learned. Of all the wisdom gained through those years of competition, these three principles have proven most valuable in both research and life:
(1) When you don't feel like doing something you know is good for you, that is precisely when you must do it — and keep doing it, every day.
(2) No long journey can be sustained by the destination alone; you have to enjoy the climb, embrace the pain and setbacks, because they are the essence of growth.
(3) No matter how overwhelming a goal appears, you can break it down into smaller, digestible steps. Focus on those daily wins, and before you know it, you're standing somewhere you once thought unreachable.
- 2020 John H. Chang '60 Award Recipient
- Recognizes a member of the Princeton T&F program for their contributions to their teammates through their generosity, enthusiasm, commitment and dedication to the team.
- 2022 CoSIDA Academic First-Team All-America
- Selected among other 16 individual athletes from approximately a pool of 1640 annual Academic All-America selections.
- 2020 & 2022 USTFCCCA All-Academic Team
- 5th at the World University Games (2023)
- 10th all-time Italian 400m hurdler: 49.15s (2023)
- 400hs Princeton University Alumni all-time Record Holder: 49.15s (2023)
- 6th all-time University of Texas At Austin 400m hurdler: 49.42s (2022)
- Italian Senior 400hs Vice-Champion (2021)
- 7 times Ivy League Track & Field Team Champion (2017 - 2020)
- 500m Indoor U23 Italian Record Holder: 1:04.60 (2018)
- World U20 400hs Championship Semifinalist (2016)
- Italian U20 & U18 400hs Champion (2014-2016)
2-Mile Daily Running Challenge
A personal challenge of running at least two miles, every day, without exception. I started on December 7th 2024, and the hope is to keep going for as long as my legs will allow. This is my small commitment to discipline and a sustainable, healthy lifestyle. On this page, you can track my daily runs, total mileage, and additional stats such as run time and average heart rate.