The extragalactic group's current members employ a wide range of observational and theoretical tools (with an emphasis on optical, radio and X-ray astronomy and computational astrophysics) in an attempt to understand the origin, dynamics, and evolution of both active and normal galaxies.

• Stuart Vogel studies the dynamics and evolution of galaxies with CO observations with the CARMA array of telescopes.
• Sylvain Veilleux is an observer whose work centers on understanding the nature of starburst and black-hole driven activity in galaxies.
• Stacy McGaugh is an observer interested in low surface brightness galaxies and the insights they provide into galaxy formation and the mass discrepancy problem.
• Chris Reynolds is a theoretician interested in the central regions of black hole systems, as well as the physics of the jets that some black holes produce.
• Alberto Bolatto uses ground and space facilities to study the effects of heavy element abundance on the physics of the interstellar medium, the relationshp between gas, dust, and star formation in galaxies, and the properties of dark matter galaxy halos in nearby galaxies.
• Eve Ostriker studies the structure and evolution of disk galaxies using large-scale numerical simulations as well as analytic models. She is particularly interested in the processes governing spiral structure, dynamics of the interstellar medium, and the regulation of star formation.
• Massimo Ricotti is a theoretical cosmologist interested in high redshift galaxy formation, nearby dwarf galaxies, and the physics of the intergalactic and interstellar medium.

This image is a color composite of the FIR observations of the Small Magellanic Cloud carried out by Bolatto's collaboration (SMC-SAGE) using the MIPS instrument onboard Spitzer. The colors are R=160um, G=70um, and B=24um.