Image credits, left to right: [1] Art: Measuring mistakes by Ulrike Kuchner. Lapel pin: CepheidStudio. [2] EROJ003707+0909.5, aka the space-invader. [3] Mapping dark matter with gravitational lensing. [4] Searching for gravitationally lensed gravitational waves.
Welcome to my web-site
I am a professor in the Extragalactic Astronomy group, located in the School of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Birmingham. During the Winter Semester 2024/25 I am also the Ida Pfeiffer Professor in the Faculty of Earth Sciences, Geography and Astronomy at the University of Vienna.
I grew up in West Yorkshire, where I was fortunate to be taught physics by Derek Fry and Henry Allinson at Mirfield High School. When I left home, I was the first member of my family to attend university. Since then I have worked and studied in Birmingham, Chicago, Durham, Leeds, London, Oxford, Pasadena, and Vienna.
Today my main research focus is multi-messenger gravitational lensing: the detection and science of gravitationally lensed cosmic explosions (e.g. supernovae and mergers of compact objects) in the distant universe. The messengers include optical and infrared photons, gamma- and X-rays, radio waves, gravitational waves, and potentially neutrinos. The overall aim is to investigate big questions, including the nature of dark matter and dark energy, the physics of stellar death and compact objects, and testing fundamental physics in new regimes.
This is an exciting time for multi-messenger gravitational lensing, as the Vera C. Rubin Observatory (Rubin) nears first light. My group leads research on the role of electromagnetic observations in achieving the first multi-messenger gravitational lensing detection. I am an active member of Rubin's Strong Lensing Science Collaboration (Co-chair 2020-2024), serve the LSST:UK Consortium as Project Scientist, and contribute to commissioning Rubin.
My approach to education reflects my passion for astronomy as a vehicle for helping people to make data-driven decisions in modern society, and my broad background. Before astronomy, I spent almost a decade in the business world, including a few years as an Honourary Lecturer at the Bradford School of Management.
I was most active in public engagement when I was Director of the University of Birmingham's Observatory, and co-founded Astronomy in the City. Among a few TV appearances at this time, one favourite eclipses them all :)
Whilst I concentrate on positives here, I also acknowledge hard times and challenges that continue to shape me.
