Dr. Julie Hlavacek-Larrondo is a leading astrophysicist at the Université de Montréal, where she heads the High-Energy and Extragalactic Astrophysics Group. She holds a prestigious Canada Research Chair in Observational Astrophysics of Black Holes, awarded to emerging world-class researchers recognized for their exceptional creativity and contributions to their fields.

An expert on supermassive black holes—the titans residing at the centers of massive galaxies—Dr. Hlavacek-Larrondo combines cutting-edge machine learning techniques with observations from the world's most advanced telescopes across multiple wavelengths. Her work spans X-ray observatories like Chandra, XMM-Newton, and eROSITA; radio arrays including JVLA, GMRT, ATCA, and the upcoming SKA; and optical instruments such as Hubble Space Telescope (HST), VLT, and NASA's flagship JWST.

Her research aims to unravel the complex role of black hole feedback in shaping galaxies—from regulating star formation and heating intergalactic gas to driving metal entrainment and influencing black hole growth itself. In addition, she explores a wide range of topics, including the observational signatures of radio halos in galaxy cluster mergers, the nature of hyper-luminous infrared galaxies, numerical simulations of relativistic jets, and the properties of compact objects.

Before joining the Université de Montréal as a faculty member, Dr. Julie Hlavacek-Larrondo was an Einstein Fellow at Stanford University. She earned her Ph.D. from the University of Cambridge.

Raised in Montreal, Julie is of Chilean and Czech heritage. Her academic journey began in 2007 with a Bachelor's degree in physics from the Université de Montréal, followed by a Master's degree in astrophysics, where she focused on the kinematical analysis of Sculptor Group galaxies.

A passionate advocate for diversity in science, she recently co-founded Parité sciences, a game-changing initiative that aims to reach gender parity in sciences. 

For more information, see her publications.