Dr Riccardo Gonzo

PhD

Postdoctoral Research Assistant

School of Physical and Chemical Sciences
Queen Mary University of London

r.gonzo@qmul.ac.uk

Member of Dr Ricardo Monteiro's Research Group

Funder:	Royal Society
Project:	RS URF Enhanced Expenses 2023

Centre for Theoretical Physics and Astronomy

Research

Gravitational Waves, Scattering Amplitudes, Black holes, Quantum Field Theory

Interests

I am a theoretical physicist interested in understanding the fundamental laws of nature, currently working at the intersection of high-energy physics and general relativity. My current work focuses on the analytical description of gravitational binary systems and the modelling of their waveforms by combining modern particle physics tools — such as scattering amplitudes — with traditional general relativity methods like the self-force expansion. My dream is to create a unified framework that connects weak-field Post-Minkowskian and Post-Newtonian theory with strong-field self-force resummation, leading to improved waveform models for current (LIGO–Virgo–KAGRA) and future (LISA, Einstein telescope) gravitational wave detectors.

News

October 2026

Antenna measurement pioneer Professor Stuart Gregson wins AMTA's 2026 Distinguished Achievement Award

20 October 2026

Queen Mary honorary visiting professor is recognised for a career advancing antenna measurement theory, practice and education. Professor Stuart Gregson, Honorary Visiting Professor in Queen Mary University of London's School of Electronic Engineering and Computer Science, has been named the Antenna Measurement Techniques Association's (AMTA) 2026 Distinguished Achievement Awardee. The award ... [more]

Antenna measurement pioneer Professor Stuart Gregson wins AMTA's 2026 Distinguished Achievement Award

Welcome to New Centre Members

20 October 2026

We welcome three new members of the Centre this term. Mathieu Delehaye is a PhD student in Mathematical Sciences at the School of Mathematical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London. He is interested in market microstructure and high-frequency trading, in particular how the composition of the trader population affects trading ... [more]

IEEE Student Branch Hosts Workshop on Career Opportunities in Automation

12 October 2026

The IEEE Student Branch at Queen Mary University of London recently hosted a successful workshop exploring career opportunities in automation, bringing together students and industry experts to discuss how emerging technologies are reshaping industries and creating new professional pathways for future engineers. The event featured presentations from leading professionals across ... [more]

IEEE Student Branch Hosts Workshop on Career Opportunities in Automation

IEEE Student Branch Visits Harwell Campus to Explore Future Technologies

12 October 2026

Students from the IEEE Student Branch at Queen Mary University of London recently visited the Harwell Science and Innovation Campus for an industry-focused tour hosted by Prof David Owens and the Virgin Media O2 team. The visit provided students with first-hand experience of emerging technologies shaping the future of automation, ... [more]

IEEE Student Branch Visits Harwell Campus to Explore Future Technologies

Les Houches – WE Heraeus Seminar on search in heterogeneous environments

2 October 2026

Together with colleagues from the UK and India, Rainer Klages, Reader in Applied Mathematics in the Centre for Complex Systems, has successfully applied to organise a workshop at the École de Physique des Houches in the French Alps. The event is funded by the Wilhelm and Else Heraeus Foundation, a ... [more]

Les Houches – WE Heraeus Seminar on search in heterogeneous environments

Scientists are a step closer to understanding and extending lifespan

1 October 2026

Researchers from Queen Mary University of London finds that directly activating a key cellular energy sensor extended lifespan in yeast, worms and flies, offering new clues about the biology of ageing. Scientists have taken an important step towards understanding how the biological processes of ageing might one day be targeted ... [more]

Scientists are a step closer to understanding and extending lifespan

September 2026

New partnership with UIBE launches two AI-focused programmes in Beijing

30 September 2026

Queen Mary University of London has launched a new transnational education partnership with the University of International Business and Economics (UIBE) in Beijing, bringing two new undergraduate programmes to students in China. Embedded within the School of Mathematical Sciences, the partnership marks an important step in the Faculty of Science ... [more]

New partnership with UIBE launches two AI-focused programmes in Beijing

Professor Dino Distefano elected Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering

24 September 2026

Professor Dino Distefano, Professor of Software Verification at Queen Mary University of London, has been elected as a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering. Professor Distefano is among 75 new Fellows elected by the Academy this year, recognising engineers and engineering researchers whose work has made an important contribution to ... [more]

Professor Dino Distefano elected Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering

Welcome to Peter McNamara

24 September 2026

We are pleased to be hosting Peter McNamara for a year-long visit as part of his sabbatical from Bucknell University. We asked him to tell us a bit about himself and his work. Tell us about your academic journey so far. Following undergrad at Trinity College Dublin, I did my ... [more]

Queen Mary scientist awarded prestigious £1.4 million UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship to uncover biodiversity's hidden benefits to people

22 September 2026

Dr Samuel Pironon, Lecturer in Conservation Biology in Queen Mary University of London's Faculty of Science and Engineering, has been awarded a highly competitive UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Future Leaders Fellowship worth £1.4 million over four years, with the potential for further extension. The Future Leaders Fellowships programme supports talented ... [more]

Queen Mary scientist awarded prestigious £1.4 million UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship to uncover biodiversity's hidden benefits to people

CMAI Professor awarded Royal Academy of Engineering Research Chair

22 September 2026

Professor Joshua Reiss, Professor of Audio Engineering in the School of Electronic Engineering and Computer Science has been awarded a prestigious Royal Academy of Engineering Research Chair. Professor Reiss is one of five leading engineers selected for a Royal Academy of Engineering Research Chair or Senior Research Fellowship. Funded by ... [more]

CMAI Professor awarded Royal Academy of Engineering Research Chair

First 'backwards' planet discovered around a small star challenges ideas about how planets form

21 September 2026

Queen Mary researchers help reveal an unusual exoplanet orbit that could provide new clues about the formation and evolution of planetary systems. Astronomers have discovered the first known planet orbiting a small, cool star on a retrograde orbit, travelling around its star in the opposite direction to the star's rotation. ... [more]

First 'backwards' planet discovered around a small star challenges ideas about how planets form

Jan Mol wins Royal Academy of Engineering Research Chair in scaling graphene quantum electronics

21 September 2026

We're delighted to share that Professor Jan Mol has been awarded a Royal Academy of Engineering Research Chair in scaling graphene quantum electronics. The award recognises Jan's pioneering research and will support his work at Queen Mary to develop scalable graphene-based hardware for the next generation of quantum computers. Quantum ... [more]

Jan Mol wins Royal Academy of Engineering Research Chair in scaling graphene quantum electronics

Shalom Lappin: Myths and Illusions of the Digital Age

18 September 2026

Shalom Lappin argues in an article published in Quillette that the digital revolution is not remaking the world in the same way as the industrial one did but is working in a fundamentally different way... The digital revolution has rapidly led to destabilising technological change in all sorts of ways ... [more]

Giving students a voice in how they learn could transform the classroom experience

17 September 2026

Research from Queen Mary University of London explores how combining learner autonomy with student-led enquiry can create a more engaging and collaborative experience for international students learning academic English. What happens when students are given more say in what they learn, how they learn it and which questions they want ... [more]

Giving students a voice in how they learn could transform the classroom experience

Scientists and leading dance institutions discover a better way to teach dance online

16 September 2026

From ballet studio to behavioural science: researchers uncover the best view for learning choreography. New research from Queen Mary University of London finds that less experienced dancers learn choreography more effectively when they follow a teacher's movements from the same perspective, with implications far beyond dance. A groundbreaking study led ... [more]

Scientists and leading dance institutions discover a better way to teach dance online

Not all roads lead to Rome: Study challenges what we think we know about Roman roads

15 September 2026

New analysis of almost 300,000 kilometres of Roman roads reveals a complex network shaped by people, places and landscapes, in which Rome was less central than is often assumed. A multidisciplinary team of researchers from Aarhus University in Denmark, Queen Mary University of London, and other European institutions analysed a dataset ... [more]

Not all roads lead to Rome: Study challenges what we think we know about Roman roads

Scientists are one step closer to healing tendon disease in people and animals

15 September 2026

Study reveals how specialised tendon cells respond to changes in their physical environment, opening new possibilities for future research into tendon health and repair. Researchers at Queen Mary University of London are now closer to understanding tendinopathy, a common condition that can cause persistent pain and impaired movement in people ... [more]

Scientists are one step closer to healing tendon disease in people and animals

Study by Anna Maltsev and collaborators on the cover of Circulation Research

8 September 2026

A recent article by Anna Maltsev, Reader in Applied Probability in the Centre for Complex Systems, and colleagues at the National Institute on Aging in Baltimore (Maryland, USA) was featured on the cover of Circulation Research. Circulation Research is a prestigious medical journal published by the American Heart Association, covering ... [more]

Study by Anna Maltsev and collaborators on the cover of Circulation Research

Chimpanzees have accents too, study finds

3 September 2026

A study by Queen Mary University of London finds that young chimpanzees develop dialect, providing a new way of understanding ontogenetic evolution. A study has found that young chimpanzees develop distinct population-specific vocal patterns as they mature (ontogeny), challenging the long-held assumption that their calls are inflexible and determined solely ... [more]