Reina Maruyama
Professor of Physics
Reina Maruyama is a professor of physics at Yale University. Her research focuses on the study of neutrinos and fundamental symmetries, astrophysics & cosmology, elementary particles, quantum science, and sensing; with particular focus on understanding the particle nature of dark matter and neutrinos and the role of symmetry in fundamental physics.
Faculty
Postdocs
Graduate Students
Undergraduate Students
Staff
Group Alumni
Scientists/Research Staff
| Name | Years | Current Institution | Current Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Jewell | 2023 – 2025 | IBM | Research Scientist |
| Sidney Cahn | 2018 – 2023 | ||
| James Nikkel | 2017 – 2024 | ||
| Ke Han | 2014-2016 | Shanghai Jiao Tong University | Associate Professor, Physics |
Postdocs
| Name | Years | Current Institution | Current Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sabrina Zacarias | 2023-2024 | University of California, Santa Barbara | Postdoc |
| Jorge Torres | 2021-2024 | University of Utah | Postdoc |
| Michael Jewell | 2020-2023 | IBM | Research Scientist |
| Pranava Teja Surukuchi | 2019-2023 | University of Pittsburgh | Assistant Professor |
| Yuqi Zhu | 2021-2022 | Apple | Scientist |
| Govinda Adhikari | 2022-2023 | RMD, Boston, MA | Senior Scientist |
| Danielle Speller | 2017-2020 | Johns Hopkins University | Assistant Professor, Physics |
| Jay Hyun Jo | 2015-2022 | Brookhaven National Laboratory | Research Scientist |
| Kyungeun Lim | 2013-2017 | CloudTrucks | Senior Data Scientist |
| Matthew Kauer | 2012-2015 | University of Wisconsin-Madison | Research Scientist |
Graduate Students
Yale University
PhD Students
| Name & Year | Thesis | Current Institution | Current Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sophia Hollick, PhD ‘25 | COSINE-100 and ANAIS-112: Two Experiments, One Search for the Annual Modulation of Dark Matter | University of Zaragoza | Postdoc |
| Samantha Pagan, PhD ‘24 | Physics at the keV Energy Scale with CUORE: A Search for Solar Axions | Foley & Lardner LLP | Patent Engineer |
| Sumita Ghosh, PhD ‘23 | Development of Rydberg Photon Detection for Axion Searches | LLNL | Postdoc |
| Kelly Backes, PhD ‘21 | A quantum-enhanced search for dark matter axions | MITRE | Senior Quantum Analyst |
| William Thompson, PhD ‘22 | Searching for Dark Matter with COSINE-100 | Harvard | Postdoc |
| Estella Barbosa de Souza, PhD ‘20 | A Model Independent Search for Dark Matter Annual Modulation with COSINE-100 | Boston Consulting Group, New York, NY | Consultant |
| Christopher Davis, PhD ‘20 | Search for Neutrinoless Double-Beta Decay with Majoron Emission in CUORE | CarMax, Richmond, VA | Senior Data Scientist |
| Jeremy Cushman, PhD ‘17 | A Search for Neutrinoless Double-Beta Decay in Tellurium-130 with CUORE | Amazon, Greater Minneapolis-St. Paul Area |
Senior Software Development Engineer |
University of Wisconsin-Madison
PhD Students
| Name & Year | Thesis | Current Institution | Current Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Antonia Hubbard, PhD ‘15 | Muon-Induced Backgrounds in the DM-Ice17 NaI(Tl) Dark Matter Detector | Rocket Lab, Wallops Island, VA | Project Manager - Electron |
| Walter Pettus, PhD ‘15 | Cosmogenic Activation in NaI Detectors for Dark Matter Searches | Indiana University Bloomington | Assistant Professor, Physics |
| Benedikt Riedel, PhD ‘14 | Modeling and Understanding Supernova Signals in the IceCube Neutrino Observatory | University of Wisconsin–Madison | Scientific Computing Specialist |
| Bethany Reilly, PhD ’14 | Background Simulation and Verification for DM-Ice | UW–Fox Valley | Senior Lecturer of Physics and Astronomy |
Masters Students
| Name & Year | Thesis/Project | Current Institution | Current Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lauren Wielgus, Jul. 2012 – Sep. 2013 | Detector Calibration Control System for CUORE | ||
| Zachary Pierpoint, Jul. 2011 - Dec. 2015 | Thesis: Search for Annual Modulation Signature from Dark Matter with DM-Ice17 |
Undergraduate Students
Yale University
| Name | Term | Project | Current Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pablo Macias Lopez | Feb. 2026- | CUPID, CUORE | |
| Emely Rivas | Nov. 2025- | ALPHA, HAYSTAC | |
| Emery Cunningham | Nov. 2025- | ALPHA, HAYSTAC | |
| Ingrid Rodríguez Vila | Jan. 2025- | RAY | |
| Kelly Dai | Jan. 2024- | ALPHA, HAYSTAC | |
| Michael Li | Jan. 2024 – May 2024 | HAYSTAC | |
| Sophia Getz | Sept. 2020 – May 2024 | Laser locking for Rydberg Atoms | Earth & Planetary Science PhD Student at Harvard |
| Annie Giman | Sept. 2020 – May 2024 | Rydberg Atoms | |
| Claire Laffan | Jun. 2021 – May 2022 (Postbac) | HAYSTAC | Physics PhD student at Yale |
| Caitlin Gainey | Sept. 2019 – May 2023 | CUORE and CUPID, muon tagger | |
| Laura Zhou | Jun. 2021 – May 2022 | Laser locking for Rydberg Atoms | Physics PhD student at Stanford |
| Huaijin (Jean) Wang | Jan. 2019 – May 2022 | Data Acquisition System for HAYSTAC | Physics PhD student at Stanford |
| Andrew Zheng | Jan. 2019 – May 2022 | Measurement of Nuclear Recoil Quenching Factor in NaI(Tl) | |
| Gabe Hoshino | Sep. 2018 – May 2021 | Single Photon Detection with Rydberg Atoms, muon tagging with CUORE | Physics PhD student at University of Chicago |
| Daniel Heimsoth | Sep. 2018 – May 2020 | Pulse Shape Discrimination in Sodium Iodide Detectors | Physics PhD student at University of Wisconsin–Madison |
| Elizabeth (Liz) Ruddy | Sep. 2018 – Aug 2020 | Annual Modulation in Sodium Iodide Detectors | Physics PhD Program at University of Colorado at Boulder |
| John Gunderson | Sept. 2019 – August 2020 | Compton spectrometer at Wright Lab | |
| Neal Ma | Sept. 2019 – May 2020 | CUORE and CUPID, muon tagger | |
| Cady van Assendelft | Jun. 2018 – May 2019 | HAYSTAC Phase 2 Upgrade | Physics PhD Program at Stanford |
| Katherine Melbourne | Jun. 2017 – Dec 2019 | Simulation for CUORE | |
| Byron Daniel | Jun. 2016 – May 2019 | Simulation of the CUORE Detector Calibration System | Physics PhD program at Carnegie Mellon |
| Suryabrata Dutta | Jun. 2016 – May 2018 | CUORE onsite detector installation, calibration system | |
| Lauren Chambers | Sep. 2015 – May 2017 | Characterization of Sodium-Iodide Detectors | |
| Ivy Wanta | Jan. 2015 – May 2017 | Development of a muon veto system for improved double beta decay measurements in 130Te | |
| Nikita Dutta | Jan. 2015 - May 2016 | Development of muon veto system for improved double beta decay measurements in 130Te | |
| Field Rogers | Sep. 2014 – May 2015; Postbac through May 2016 | Pulse-shape discrimination in NaI detectors | |
| Tomas Albergo | Jan. 2015 – May 2015 | Optimization of the CUORE Calibration System with Monte Carlo Simulations |
University of Wisconsin-Madison
| Name | Term | Project | Current Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chris Hilgenberg | Sep. 2011 – 2013 | Effect of temperature on NaI pulse shape | |
| Aleks Cianciara | Sep. 2011 – 2013 | DM-Ice17 detector stability | |
| Minghui (Maggie) Wu | Jan. – Jun. 2013 | Background estimates for DM-Ice | |
| Benjamin Broerman | Jun. 2010 – 2012 | Modeling of the thermal mass and gradient profile of the DM-Ice prototype, PMT characterization, waveform characterization, detector stability |