SHERBROOKE, QC, June 10, 2026 /CNW/ - A decade after the first detection of gravitational waves transformed astronomy, Bishop's University researcher Dr. John Ruan has been renewed as Canada Research Chair in Multi-Messenger Astrophysics, positioning his team to help answer some of the universe's biggest unanswered questions.
First appointed in 2021, Ruan combines observations of gravitational waves with data from telescopes to probe key astrophysical questions: how neutron stars merge, where the heaviest elements form, and how supermassive black holes grow. The next generation of telescopes will produce vast data for this endeavour, demanding new tools for detection and analysis. Bishop's collaborates with five other Canadian Universities in the $12‑million Gravitational Wave Astrophysics Infrastructure Network (GRAIN), supported by the Canada Foundation for Innovation. Dr. Ruan's involvement with GRAIN will enable access to next-generation gravitational wave detectors such as the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) mission.
"The detection of gravitational waves in 2015 gave us a completely new way of observing the universe -- one we are still learning to use," said Dr. Ruan. "The renewal of this Chair gives my team the time and resources to pursue phenomena we have not yet observed, including the first detection of gravitational waves from colliding supermassive black holes, which GRAIN and LISA are being built to find."
Using multiple "cosmic messengers" - gravitational waves and light - researchers can investigate phenomena that neither signal alone could reveal. That combination is at the heart of what Ruan's renewed program will pursue.
"For our students, a Canada Research Chair renewal means something very practical: the opportunity to work in a lab that is contributing to research at the frontier of gravitational-wave astronomy," said Kerry Hull, Vice-Principal Academic and Research. "Dr. Ruan's renewal ensures that work continues and that Bishop's students remain part of it."
Canada Research Chairs are awarded through the Canada Research Chairs Program, a federal initiative designed to attract and retain outstanding researchers at Canadian universities. The renewal includes $500,000 in federal support over five years and follows a national peer-review process evaluating both the research program and its impact. Bishop's University currently holds five Canada Research Chairs spanning fields from gravitational-wave astronomy and exoplanet science to Indigenous digital studies, plurilingual education, and youth development.
ABOUT BISHOP'S UNIVERSITY
Founded in 1843 and located on the traditional territory of the Abenaki people (W8banakiak wdakiw8k), Bishop's University is an English-language institution in the Eastern Townships of Québec -- one of Canada's most distinctive academic settings where studying in English while living in French-speaking Canada is part of the education itself. Our 550-acre campus is home to a highly engaged community where students are challenged to grow beyond what they already know academically, personally, and experientially.
Research and creativity are central to Bishop's University's mission. We empower our faculty, undergraduates, and graduate students to contribute research, scholarly inquiry, innovation, and knowledge creation across diverse fields of study. Our researchers generate new knowledge driven by collaboration and interdisciplinary exchange that has direct relevance and measurable impact for communities, partners, and end users. Our researchers generate new knowledge driven by collaboration and interdisciplinary exchange that has direct relevance and measurable impact for communities, partners, and end users. Our students participate at every stage, from the first lines of inquiry to publishing in peer-reviewed journals.
Bishop's is home to five Canada Research Chairs, a Jarislowsky Chair, and robust external research funding, anchored by a research culture that pairs rigorous inquiry with close faculty-student mentorship. Innovative and impactful research takes place across Business, Education, Humanities, Natural Sciences and Mathematics, and Social Sciences. Graduateofferings include a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology (PsyD), Master's programs in Physics, Computer Science, and Education, and Individualized Master's programs that allow students to pursue research interests in a wide variety of fields.
SOURCE Bishop's University
MEDIA REQUESTS: Annick Lambert, Bishop's University, [email protected]
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