Dr Sownak Bose

Associate Professor (Research) in the Department of Physics

What do you do?

My research aims to understand how structures in our Universe (stars, galaxies, etc.) formed over billions of years. I use supercomputers to create “virtual” universes, incorporating our best understanding of the physics relevant to galaxy formation, which we can then compare with real observations. I started my career in Physics as an undergraduate at Oxford, moving to Durham to do my PhD in 2013. I then spent 4 years at Harvard University before returning to Durham in my current position.  

How are you involved in this area of science? 

A recent project I am particularly proud of is “Stargoal”, in which we created free and open access classroom resources on the physics of football. The project was initially conceived out of a conversation on some of the sociological similarities between Physics research and football in terms of gender and culture. Led by Alis Deason (who is also a Durham astronomer), we worked with Year 5 & 6 students at Catchgate Primary School to create videos on gravity, statistics and probability, and pattern recognition. We collaborated with the students to demonstrate how these scientific concepts — that may at first seem to be irrelevant to sport — are not only intimately related to football, but understanding them can (at least theoretically!) make us better footballers. The additional resources we created for teachers are designed to provide suggestions of how to use the films, with possible extensions to take the learning further. 

What do you love about this topic?

Beyond the fact that Stargoal allowed me to combine my professional work with my biggest passion (football!), the best part about this project was working with the students at Catchgate school, whose enthusiasm for the activities was a joy — this was particularly important when we had to film the same scenes 5 or 6 times in a row! We even had the opportunity to collaborate with professional footballers from Durham Women’s Football Club. I think all of us working on this project (not so) secretly wanted to be footballers growing up, so it was a bit like meeting our idols!   

How does this work deliver real-world impact?

One of our objectives behind Stargoal was to construct a project with a particular focus on the North East. Catchgate Primary was our partner in producing the films but the hope is that the further resources (which were developed by Kate Stephenson at Education Durham) will be used in conjunction with the films by other schools in the region (and maybe beyond). The website (link below) acts as a persistent record of the resources we have created for exactly this reason. Stargoal won a national award for Partnering with Schools at the 2024 Ogden Trust Outreach awards. 

Find out more:

• Learn more about the work of the Stargoal project
• Discover more about the Ogden Trust Outreach Award