A University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa physicist has received one of the world’s top honors in theoretical science for work that reshapes our understanding of gravity and the accelerating expansion of the universe.
Jeremy Sakstein, assistant professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, was awarded the 2025 Frontiers of Science Award by the International Congress of Basic Science (ICBS) for his influential research on gravitational waves. His study, co-authored with Bhuvnesh Jain of the University of Pennsylvania, was published in Physical Review Letters and examines the 2017 neutron star collision that sent both light and gravitational waves across the cosmos.
The research showed that the near-simultaneous arrival of those signals ruled out many alternative theories of gravity, bringing scientists closer to understanding what’s behind the universe’s mysterious acceleration—commonly referred to as dark energy.
“This recognition is incredibly humbling,” Sakstein said. “It shows that researchers here in Hawaiʻi are making significant contributions to some of the most fundamental questions in science. I hope this inspires our students and strengthens UH Mānoa’s role in shaping the future of cosmology and gravitational physics.”
The Frontiers of Science Award honors research of exceptional originality, scientific value and lasting impact. For 2025, just 40 works were selected across mathematics, theoretical physics and theoretical computer and information sciences. Winning research must be published within the past decade and widely accepted as a breakthrough in its field.
Sakstein will be honored at the Third International Congress of Basic Science in Beijing this July, where the world’s leading researchers will gather to celebrate cutting-edge discoveries in the natural sciences.
