My Astrophysics Research 'Grew Up' Here

At Fudan University's Jiangwan Campus in Shanghai, Cosimo Bambi is often seen jogging around the physics building. He runs without headphones, keeps a steady pace, and sometimes waves to students. Some say he resembles Sheldon from the American sitcom The Big Bang Theory, not because of eccentric habits, but because of his sharp eyes and quiet focus. In reality, he is grounded and has spent the last 13 years helping build a research field that barely existed in China when he arrived.

In 2025, Bambi received the Chinese Government Friendship Award, the highest honor for foreign experts. He noted that many recipients are senior scholars who came to China after long careers abroad. "But my experience is a bit different; I 'grew up' here in China," he said.

Starting from zero

Bambi earned his PhD in 2007 from the University of Ferrara in Italy under Alexander Dolgov, a leading figure in cosmology. He then worked as a postdoctoral researcher at Wayne State University in the United States, the University of Tokyo's Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe, and Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich.

During his time in Tokyo, he first considered moving to China. He learned from Chinese colleagues that the country was investing heavily in scientific research and offering real opportunities for young researchers. Knowing that Fudan is one of China's top universities, he decided to give it a try.

He joined Fudan as a full-time faculty member in late 2012. At the time, the physics department had strong programs in condensed matter physics but no active research in high-energy astrophysics, gravitation, or cosmology. Bambi stepped into that gap.

He introduced Fudan's first courses in astrophysics and cosmology for both undergraduate and graduate students. To support teaching, he wrote Introduction to Particle Cosmology: The Standard Model of Cosmology and its Open Problems, which became the only Chinese-language university textbook in particle cosmology in the country. Later, he published an updated Introduction to General Relativity that included modern topics such as gravitational waves and cosmological models, subjects rarely covered in Chinese academic materials at the time.

His research focuses on using X-ray observations to probe the extreme gravitational fields around black holes, a key testing ground for Einstein's theory of General Relativity. He and his team analyze data from China's Hard X-ray Modulation Telescope and provide theoretical frameworks for interpreting signals from black hole systems. He says today's technology is advanced enough to treat the entire universe as a laboratory, something that was impossible in the past due to limited measurement precision.

A global team in Shanghai

Under Bambi's guidance, undergraduates in his department regularly publish first-author papers in peer-reviewed journals, typically no fewer than six each year.

He finds Chinese students highly self-motivated and hardworking. Even when facing language barriers, they ask questions and take the initiative.

His core research group includes two postdocs and seven PhD students from the United States, India, Pakistan, Colombia, and Uzbekistan. He believes scientific progress requires collaboration, as different backgrounds bring different ways of thinking and help avoid blind spots.

As a mentor, he avoids micromanaging. He encourages students to find their own motivation, emphasizing that what matters is not how they get results but that they choose to pursue them.

Outside the lab, Bambi enjoys running. He is often seen jogging around the campus. His office shelves display medals from marathons and university races. He once won Fudan's 10-kilometer faculty event. A sports bag and towel sit ready by the door. He says running clears his mind and sometimes sparks new ideas.

He also works to strengthen academic ties between China and Italy. In 2015, he co-founded the Association of Italian Scholars in China to promote cooperation in science and education. He has organized workshops and helped arrange exchanges between Fudan and overseas institutions.

In 2021, he obtained permanent residency in China. "I really enjoy life here," he said.

His academic record includes over 210 papers as first or corresponding author, more than 14,000 citations, 13 academic books, and one popular science book. He received the Shanghai Magnolia Memorial Award in 2018, the Magnolia Honor Award in 2022, and the Xu Guangqi Prize from the Italian Embassy in Beijing.

Bambi acknowledges that his field deals with questions that may not yield practical applications for decades. But he sees value in the pursuit itself. People naturally wonder where the universe came from and how it works, and that curiosity drives science forward.

He remains focused on training students, analyzing data, and testing theories. While he does not predict breakthroughs, he stays open to them. Tomorrow will surprise everyone, he says, and maybe some of those surprises will come from their little corner in Shanghai.

This article was edited and translated based on the Chinese version by Fudan University.

Source: Science and Technology Daily