Selected Publications

• Gravitationally lensed quasars in Gaia: III. 22 new lensed quasars from Gaia data release 2, Lemon, Auger & McMahon, 2019, MNRAS, 483, 4242
• Eight new luminous z ≥ 6 quasars discovered via SED model fitting of VISTA, WISE and Dark Energy Survey Year 1 observations, Reed, McMahon et al., 2017, MNRAS, 468, 4702
• VDES J2325-5229 a z = 2.7 gravitationally lensed quasar discovered using morphology-independent supervised machine learning Ostrovski, McMahon, Connolly et al., 2017, MNRAS, 465, 4325
• Heavily reddened quasars at z~2 in the UKIDSS Large Area Survey: a transitional phase in AGN evolution, Banerji, Manda; McMahon, Richard G. et al, 2012, MNRAS ,427, 2275
• A luminous quasar at a redshift of z = 7.085, Mortlock, D et al., 2011, Nature, 474, 616
• The discovery of the first luminous z~6 quasar in the UKIDSS Large Area Survey, Venemans B., McMahon R.G., et al, 2007, MNRAS, 376L, 76.
• DAzLE: the dark ages z (redshift) Lyman-α Explorer; Horton A., et al., 2004, SPIE,5492, 1022
• The evolution of Ω_HI and the epoch of formation of damp ed Lyman-α absorbers, Peroux C., McMahon R.G. et al., 2003, MNRAS, 346L, 1103. 
• Lyman break galaxies and the star formation rate of the Universe at z~ 6; Stanway E.R., Bunker A.J., McMahon R.G., 2003, MNRAS, 342, 439.
• The far-infrared-submillimetre spectral energy distribution of high-redshift quasars, Priddey, R. and McMahon, R.G., 2001, MNRAS, 324P, 17.
• Optical Counterparts for 70,000 Radio Sources: APM Identifications for the FIRST Radio Survey; McMahon, R.G.; White, R.L.; Helfand, D.J.; Becker, R.H., 2002, ApJS, 143, 1.
• Measurements of Omega and Lambda from 42 High-Redshift Supernovae, Perlmutter S. et al, 1999, ApJ, 517, 565.[Noble Prize paper]
• Discovery of radio-loud quasars with z = 4.72 and z = 4.01; Hook I.M., McMahon R.G., 1998, MNRAS, 294, 7.
• Detection of Lyman-α emitting galaxies at redshift z = 4.55; Hu E.M, McMahon R.G., 1996, Nature, 382, 231.
• Evolution of neutral gas at high redshift: implications for the epoch of galaxy formation Storrie-Lombardi, L. J. ; McMahon, R. G.; Irwin, M. J.
• APM z >=4 QSO Survey: Spectra and Intervening Absorption Systems; Storrie-Lombardi, L. J., McMahon R.G.; Irwin, M.J., 1996, ApJ, 468, 121.
• A Supernova at reshift z = 0.458 and Implications for Measuring the Cosmological Deceleration McMahon with P. et al., 1995
• The variability of optically selected quasars, Hook, I.M., McMahon, R.G., Boyle, B.J. & Irwin, M.J., 1994, MNRAS, 268, 305.
• 1.25-mm continuum observations of very high-redshift QSOs: Is there dust at z = 4.69?, McMahon, R.G. et al, 1994, MNRAS, 267L, 9.

Press coverage

• Audio interview from the BBC describing how we detected the most distant galaxy known in the Universe [here]
• BBC Story on DAZLE [ DAZLE News Reports ]
• Heavens Above: How Microsoft are helping me out?

Career

• 2017-2022: Director and Head of Department, Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge
• 2013-2017: Deputy Director, Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge
• 2012 - Professor of Astronomy, Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge
• 2012 - Member of Kavli Institute for Cosmology, Cambridge
• 2001-2012: Reader in Observational Astronomy, Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge
• 2000-2001: John Couch Adams Astronomer, University of Cambridge
• 1999-2001: University Lecturer,  Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge
• 1991-2001: Royal Society University Research Fellow, Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge
• 1985-1991: Research Associate, Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge

Qualifications

• PhD, Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge; Supervisor: Cyril Hazard
• Postgraduate Certification in Secondary Education (Physics), University of Cambridge
• BSc (Hons) Physics, Queens University Belfast 

Prizes and Awards

• 2015 Breakthrough Prizes In Fundamental Physics (jointly as a member of the Supernova Cosmology Project for the discovery of the accelerating Universe)
• 2007 Gruber Cosmology Prize (jointly as a member of the Supernova Cosmology Project for the discovery of the accelerating Universe)

Current Departmental and University responsibilities

• Chair of University Research Computing Advisory Board (2021 to present)
• Member of University Information Services Research Portfolio Board (2023 to present)

Past Departmental and University responsibilities

• Director and Head of Department of Institute of Astronomy (2017-2022)
• Deputy Director of Institute of Astronomy (2013-2017)
• Chair of Faculty of Physics and Chemistry Academic Career Pathway Committee (2021 to 2023)
• Chair of IoA Computing Oversight Committee (2009 to 2023)
• Chair of School of Physcial Sciences IT Committee (2011 to 2023)
• Deputy Chair of Schools-University Information Services Engagement Committee
• Member of University Information Security Subcommittee
• Member of High Preformance Computing Strategy Committee

DIRAC Biography

Personal Sketch

I lived for one year when I was four years old in the town of Westport, County Mayo in the Republic of Ireland. As reported by Wikipedia, In 1842, the English novelist, William Makepeace Thackeray, visited Westport and wrote of the town:

"The most beautiful view I ever saw in the world. It forms an event in one's life to have seen that place so beautiful that is it, and so unlike other beauties that I know of. Were such beauties lying on English shores it would be a world's wonder perhaps, if it were on the Mediterranean or Baltic, English travellers would flock to it by hundreds, why not come and see it in Ireland!"

For, most of my school years, apart from one year in Westport, County Mayo, Republic of Ireland, and one year in Strabane, County Tyrone, Nortern Ireland, I lived in Omagh, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland where I attended the state funded Christian Brothers Grammar School, Omagh.

Omagh came to international notice in 1998, as a result of the Omagh bombing on 15 August 1998. The terrorist car bomb killed 29 people (including a woman pregnant with twins), making it the deadliest single incident of the Troubles in Northern Ireland.

I go to Omagh almost every summer with my family for a vacation and to visit my parents and siblings and usually spend a week on holiday in County Donegal, Ireland at a seaside town 45 miles from Omagh on the Atlantic coast called Rossnowlagh. In 1977, I went to University to study Physics and Applied Mathematics, changing to Physics after the first year at Queens University, Belfast. I used to think that I was first member of my family to attend University but my mother, who left school at the age of 16, to help her mother look after her siblings, beat to me to it since she attended the distance learning Open University and graduated when I was still at secondary school. My two younger sisters went to University and my two younger brothers left secondary school after their O'levels.

Other stuff

• John Couch Adams
• Astononomy Picture of the Day
• Welcome to the Planets
• Check the lunar phase
• Physical Constants