Emanuele Panella


Climb up on the Moon? Of course we did. All you had to do was row out to it in a boat and, when you were underneath, prop a ladder against her and scramble up.

-Italo Calvino

About me

I am a theoretical physics PhD student at University College London, working within the Cosmoparticle Initiative under the supervision of Professor Andrew Pontzen and Professor Jonathan Oppenheim.

I completed my undergraduate and graduate degrees at Imperial College London. In 2020, I earned a Bachelor of Science in Physics with Theoretical Physics with First Class Honours, followed by a Master’s degree in Quantum Fields and Fundamental Forces in 2021, achieved with Distinction.

My research interests span multiple subfields of quantum gravity, with a common focus on the backreaction of quantum fields on the gravitational field in a semi-classical regime. I explore the cosmological implications of a novel approach to unifying quantum fields and gravity, known as classical-quantum (CQ) gravity. Additionally, I investigate the effects of quantum fields on the geometry of black holes using holography and braneworld constructions.

In my free time, I enjoy applying the mathematical methods I've learned in physics to other fields. I have worked on projects related to brain stimulation and option pricing in the financial market. For a more detailed overview of my current projects, please visit my  research page

I am in my last year of my PhD and, consequently, I am currently looking for a postdoc position. You can find my academic CV here.

My Letterboxd top 4:

La La Land

by Damien Chazelle

Inglorious Basterds

by Quentin Tarantino

The Empire Strikes Back

by Irvin Kershner

The Marquis of Grillo

by Mario Monicelli

My Bookshelf top 4:

The Brothers Karamazov

by Fyodor Dostoevsky

If on a Winter's Night a Traveler

by Italo Calvino

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

by Douglas Adams

The Moral Essays

by Giacomo Leopardi