Career

 

Research Scientist and Kavli Fellow

Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics & Cosmology, Stanford University
October 2019 - present

NASA Einstein Fellow

Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics & Cosmology, Stanford University
October 2016 - September 2019

CITA National Fellow & Postdoctoral Research Fellow

Saint Mary’s University, Halifax, NS, Canada
September 2013 - September 2016

Education

 

Ph.D. in Astronomy

Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge
October 2009 - July 2013

M.Sci., M.A. (Cantab) in Natural Sciences

Jesus College, University of Cambridge
Specialising in Experimental and Theoretical Physics
October 2005 - June 2009

Awards

 

  • Einstein Fellowship, National Aeronautics & Space Administration (2016-19)

  • Kavli Fellowship, Stanford University (2019-20)

  • National Fellowship, Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics (2013-15)

  • Ph.D. Studentship, Science & Technology Facilities Council (2009-13)

  • Foundation Scholarship, Jesus College, Cambridge (2006-10)

  • College Prize in Physics, Jesus College, Cambridge (2008 & 2009)

  • $1.02M award from the NASA Astrophysics Research and Analysis (APRA) program for the development of next generation event characterization and background rejection in X-ray detectors (2021-2024)

  • $470,000 award from the NASA Astrophysics Data Analysis Program (ADAP) to study supermassive black holes via the reflection and reverberation of X-rays from the accretion disc of gas falling in (2022-2025)

  • $414,000 awards through NASA NuSTAR and XMM-Newton guest observer programs

  • $87,000 award through the Chandra Archive program

  • 1.3Ms observing time with NuSTAR and 630ks observing time with XMM-Newton as principal investigator

  • 2.7Ms observing time with XMM-Newton as co-investigator

Skills

 

Technical/Astronomy

  • Reduction and analysis of astronomical X-ray data from the XMM-Newton, Chandra, Suzaku, NuSTAR, and Swift X-ray Telescopes including spectrum and light curve extraction, grating spectra and timing analysis

  • On-site observing at the William Herschel Telescope (WHT), La Palma

  • Time series analysis and the development of codes for X-ray spectral-timing analysis

  • Development of computer simulations and general relativistic ray tracing

Computing

  • Programming in C, C++, Python, Fortran, Visual Basic, Visual C#, Java, and Perl

  • Development of machine learning algorithms using TensorFlow and scikit-learn

  • High performance computing and programming for GPUs using the NVIDIA CUDA architecture

  • Use of the scientific packages MATLAB and Mathematica

Communication

  • Delivering seminars and lectures to both scientific and public audiences

  • Teaching lectures, classes and small group tutorials, and supervising student research projects

  • Delivering live planetarium shows

  • Hosting stargazing evenings

  • Scientific writing and authoring press releases

  • Scientific publications with more than 3,000 citations

  • TV and radio appearances