Søren Galatius earned his PhD from Aarhus University in 2004, completing his doctoral studies under the supervision of Ib Madsen. Since July 2025, he has served as a professor at Columbia University, furthering his research in algebraic topology, specifically focusing on the homology of automorphisms of free groups and the moduli spaces of manifolds.
Academic Appointments
Following his graduate training in Denmark, Galatius moved to an academic position at Stanford University. He began as a Szegő Assistant Professor before transitioning to a tenure-track role, eventually reaching the rank of full professor in 2011. He returned to his home country in 2016 to hold a professorship at the University of Copenhagen before his 2025 move to Columbia University.
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Much of the work produced by Galatius involves collaborative projects, most notably with Oscar Randal-Williams. Their joint output includes a multi-part series on the homological stability for moduli spaces of high-dimensional manifolds published between 2014 and 2018. His individual research, such as his 2011 paper regarding the stable homology of automorphism groups of free groups, appeared in the Annals of Mathematics.
Awards and Recognition
Galatius has received multiple forms of recognition for his contributions to mathematics. In 2010, the Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters awarded him its Silver Medal. He was included as an inaugural fellow of the American Mathematical Society in 2012 and participated as an invited speaker at the 2014 International Congress of Mathematicians. Furthermore, he earned the 2017 EliteForsk Prize from the Danish government and shared the 2022 Clay Research Award with Oscar Randal-Williams.
Fast facts
- Born: 1 August 1976, Randers, Denmark
- PhD Advisor: Ib Madsen
- Inaugural Fellow of the American Mathematical Society: 2012
- EliteForsk Prize Recipient: 2017
- Clay Research Award Recipient: 2022
- Current Position: Professor at Columbia University
Questions readers ask
Where did Søren Galatius complete his education?
He earned his PhD from Aarhus University in 2004.
With whom does Galatius frequently collaborate on research?
He frequently collaborates with mathematician Oscar Randal-Williams.
Achievements
- EliteForsk Prize — 2017
- Held posts at Stanford University and University of Copenhagen
