# Brian Schmidt

_American-born Australian astrophysicist_

Canonical: https://diginpl.com/people/brian-schmidt
Last updated: 2026-10-31

> Brian Paul Schmidt is an American Australian astrophysicist at the Australian National University's Mount Stromlo Observatory and Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics. He was the Vice-Chancellor of the Australian National University (ANU) from January 2016 to January 2024. He is known for his research in using supernovae as cosmological probes. He previously held a Federation Fellowship and a Laureate Fellowship from the Australian Research Council, and was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS) in 2012. Schmidt shared both the 2006 Shaw Prize in Astronomy and the 2011 Nobel Prize in Physics with Saul Perlmutter and Adam Riess for providing evidence that the expansion of the universe is accelerating.

## Quick facts

- **Born:** 24 February 1967 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q201452#P569))
- **Place of birth:** Missoula ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q201452#P19))
- **Citizenship:** United States; Australia ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q201452#P27))
- **Occupation:** astrophysicist; university teacher; astronomer ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q201452#P106))
- **Education:** Harvard University; University of Arizona; Bartlett High School ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q201452#P69))
- **Official website:** mso.anu.edu.au/~brian ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q201452#P856))
- **Awards:** Nobel Prize in Physics; Gruber Prize in Cosmology; Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics; Dirac Medal for the Advancement of Physics; Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science; The Shaw Prize in Astronomy; Pawsey Medal; Companion of the Order of Australia; Fellow of the Royal Society; Clarivate Citation Laureates; Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering; Fellow of the International Science Council; Malcolm McIntosh Prize for Physical Scientist of the Year ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q201452#P166))
- **X (Twitter):** cosmicpinot ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q201452#P2002))

## Questions

**When was Brian Schmidt born?**  
Brian Schmidt was born on 24 February 1967 in Missoula.

**Where did Brian Schmidt study?**  
Brian Schmidt was educated at Harvard University, University of Arizona, Bartlett High School.

## Related

- [Jan Koum](https://diginpl.com/people/jan-koum)
- [Joe Gebbia](https://diginpl.com/people/joe-gebbia)
- [Luke Nosek](https://diginpl.com/people/luke-nosek)
- [Miriam Adelson](https://diginpl.com/people/miriam-adelson)
- [Adam Riess](https://diginpl.com/people/adam-riess)
- [Alan J. Heeger](https://diginpl.com/people/alan-j-heeger)
- [Alfred G. Gilman](https://diginpl.com/people/alfred-g-gilman)
- [Alfred Hershey](https://diginpl.com/people/alfred-hershey)
- [Allan MacLeod Cormack](https://diginpl.com/people/allan-macleod-cormack)
- [Andrea M. Ghez](https://diginpl.com/people/andrea-m-ghez)
- [Andrew Fire](https://diginpl.com/people/andrew-fire)
- [Andrew Schally](https://diginpl.com/people/andrew-schally)

## Sources

- [Wikipedia (English): Brian Schmidt](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Schmidt) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Wikidata item Q201452](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q201452) — [CC0 1.0](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- [Image: Brian Schmidt portrait 1.jpg by Tim Wetherell (CC BY-SA 3.0)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Brian_Schmidt_portrait_1.jpg)

## Licence and attribution

Text from the Wikipedia article Brian Schmidt, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image: Brian Schmidt portrait 1.jpg — Tim Wetherell, CC BY-SA 3.0.

## Cite this page

"Brian Schmidt". DigiNepal. Last updated 31 October 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/brian-schmidt. Retrieved 6 November 2026.