Curriculum Vitae

My CV is also available in PDF format (last updated 5 December 2025).

Positions

10/2019 - present

ESA Office, Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore MD, USA

10/2023 - present : ESA-AURA Astronomer III

10/2019 - 10/2023 : ESA-AURA Astronomer II

03/2025 - present : Division Head, Science Policy Division

06/2022 - 03/2025 : Deputy Mission Head, Science Mission Office

11/2021 - 06/2022 : Scientist, Science Mission Office

05/2021 - 11/2021 : Acting Deputy Mission Head, Science Mission Office

10/2019 - 05/2021 : Scientist, Science Mission Office

03/2019 - 09/2019

Department of Astrophysics, University of Vienna, Austria

ERC Fellow

European Southern Observatory, Garching, Germany

Visiting Associate

10/2018 - 02/2019

European Southern Observatory, Garching, Germany

ERC Fellow

09/2013 - 09/2018

Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore MD, USA

Postdoc in the HSTPROMO group, working with Roeland van der Marel

10/2010 - 09/2013

Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, Heidelberg, Germany

Postdoc in the Dynamics group, working with Glenn van de Ven

Education

Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge

10/2006 - 09/2010

PhD in Astronomy

Thesis: Tracer Populations in the Local Group

Supervisors: Wyn Evans and Vasily Belokurov

Gonville and Caius College, University of Cambridge

10/2002 - 06/2006

MSci First Class Honours

Project Title: Weak lensing in galaxy clusters.

Supervisor: Lindsay King

MA First Class Honours

Natural Sciences with Computer Science, specialising in Astrophysics.

Honours and Awards

Theory Proposals, Archival Proposals & Grants

2024: AR-4640 (JWST Archival Legacy, PI Sabbi)
2021: AR-16625 (HST Archival, PI McKinnon & Apfel)
2018: AR-15633 (HST Archival Legacy, $394k, PI del Pino Molina)
2017: AR-15055 (HST Theory, $149k, PI Watkins) ⭑
2015: AR-14322 (HST Theory, $143k, PI Watkins) ⭑

Observing Proposals

2025: GO-18068 (HST, 64 orbits, PI Kallivayalil)
2025: GO-18032 (HST, 8 orbits, PI Bennet)
2025: GO-18029 (HST, 48 orbits, PI Bennet)
2025: GO-17926 (HST, 10 orbits) + GO-9225 (JWST, 2.4 hours, PI Bennet)
2025: GO-17925 (HST, 12 orbits, PI Bennet)
2023: GO-17513 (HST, 42 orbits, PI Bennet)
2023: GO-17501 (HST, 16 orbits, PI Bennet)
2023: GO-17434 (HST, 16 orbits, PI Vitral)
2023: GTO-4515 (JWST, 3.0 hours, PI van der Marel)
2023: GTO-4514 (JWST, 3.9 hours, PI van der Marel)
2023: GTO-4513 (JWST, 4.2 hours, PI van der Marel)
2022: GTO-2772 (JWST, 1.6 hours, PI van der Marel)
2022: GO-17174 (HST, 28 orbits, PI Bennet)
2021: GO-16737 (HST, 20 orbits, PI Sohn & del Pino Molina)
2020: GO-16298 (HST, SNAP 44 targets, PI Libralato)
2020: GO-16274 (HST, 15 orbits, PI Sohn & Fardal)
2020: GO-16273 (HST, 48 orbits, PI Sohn)
2019: 0104.B-0296 (VLT/MUSE, 18h, PI Kacharov)
2019: GO-15911 (HST, 20 orbits, PI del Pino Molina)
2018: 0102.D-0164 (VLT/FLAMES, 14.8h, PI Gieles)
2018: 0101.D-0385 (VLT/NACO, 9.5h, PI Libralato)
2017: 60.A-9181 (VLT/MUSE SV, 1.1h, PI Alfaro-Cuello)
2017: GO-15173 (HST, 5 orbits, PI Kalirai)
2015: GO-14235 (HST, 42 orbits, PI Sohn)
2015: GO-14155 (HST, 5 orbits, PI Kalirai)
2015: 095.B-0585 (VLT/MUSE, 10h, PI Lützgendorf)
2010: I/2010B/09 (INT/WFC, 5 nights, PI Watkins) ⭑
2010: 085.B-0567 (VLT/FORS2, 30h, PI Fellhauer)
2009: 083.B-0269 (VLT/FORS2, 17h, PI Fellhauer)
2008: 082.B-0684 (VLT/FORS2, 30h, PI Fellhauer)

Prizes & Scholarships

2013: Ohio State University CCAPP Fellowship (declined)
2006-2010: PPARC/STFC studentship
2006-2010: Gonville and Caius Rhonda Scholarship
2006: Gonville and Caius Physics Prize
2005: Gonville and Caius Senior Scholarship
2004: Gonville and Caius Senior Scholarship
2003: Gonville and Caius Junior Scholarship

Relevant skills, experience and service

Professional Memberships

Member of the International Astronomical Union

Member of the American Astronomical Society

Member of the AAS Division on Dynamical Astronomy

Astronomical Community Service

Referee for Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

Referee for American Astronomical Society Journals

Referee for Astronomy & Astrophysics

Referee for Nature Astronomy

Peer review for Polish National Science Centre

Peer review for Science and Technology Facilities Council

Peer review for FONDECYT

HST Time Allocation Committee (Cycle 27)

AAS Division on Dynamical Astronomy Dirk Brouwer Career Award Committee (2018, 2019, Chair 2020)

Panel support for JWST Time Allocation Committee (Early Release Science)

Panel support for HST Time Allocation Committee meeting (Cycles 22, 23 & 24)

Panel support for HST Financial Review Committee meeting (Cycle 24)

Panel support for ESO Observing Programmes Committee (Period 104)

Conference Organisation

2018: SOC Co-chair for Science With Precision Astrometry, Baltimore, MD, USA
2012: LOC for Dynamics Meets Kinematics Tracers, Ringberg, Germany

Departmental Service

2019→: STScI Postdoctoral Fellows Hiring Coordination Committee
2019-2025: STScI Research Computing Forum
2022-2024: SafeZone Training Facilitator
2023: Chair, ESA-AURA Selection Committee
2023: Member, ESA Distinguished Lecture Committee
2022: Member, Science Evaluation Committee
2022: Member, ESA Distinguished Lecture Committee
2021: Member, HSTPROMO Hiring Committee
2021: Chair, STScI Fellowship Selection Committee
2020: Member, ESA-AURA Selection Committee
2019: Member, HSTPROMO Hiring Committee
2019: Chair, Prize Fellowship Selection Committee
2019: Co-creator of Vienna Dynamics Group website
2019: Co-organiser of ESO Science Day
2019: Coordinator for ESO Summer Research Programme website
2015-2018: STScI Postdoc Representative
2017: STScI Security Impacts Advisory Committee
2016: Co-organiser of STScI Postdoc Jamboree
2015-2016: Co-organiser for STScI Colloquium series
2014-2015: Co-organiser for STScI CoolSci/HotSci series
2012-2013: Website manager of the MPIA Dynamics group
2012-2013: Organiser for MPIA Dynamics group meetings
2012: Co-organiser of MPIA GC Retreat
2006-2010: Website manager of the IoA Stellar Populations group
2007-2009: Co-organiser for the IoA Stellar Populations group meetings
2006-2007: Co-organiser for the IoA Student Seminar series

Large Collaborations & Working Groups

HSTPROMO : High-resolution Space Telescope PROper MOtion Collaboration

JWST Telescope Scientist Team : member of the Local Group Proper Motion Science Project

Gaia Challenge : member of Spherical/Triaxial Systems and Collisional Systems working groups

GC-squared : Globular Clusters with Gaia Community

Theia Consortium : member of dark matter working group for the Theia Space Mission Project

DYNAMITE : DYNamics And Metallicity Indiciators Tracing Evolution Collaboration

Courses and Workshops

2022-2023: The Leadership Challenge (Kouzes & Posner/STScI)
2022: HBDI Whole Brain Thinking (Hermann/STScI)
2022: Introduction to Supervisor and Manager Responsibilities and Skills (STScI)
2021: Unconscious Bias Training (STScI)
2020: Bystander Intervention Training (Hollaback/STScI)
2017: Concrete Steps to Make Your Workplace More Inclusive (STScI)
2017: Respect and Inclusion Series (Workplace Answers/AURA)
2017: Coaching and Mentoring (Workplace Answers/AURA)
2017: Project Management for the Unofficial Project Manager (Franklin Covey/STScI)
2016: SafeZone (Johns Hopkins University)
2012: Writing in the Sciences (Stanford University - Coursera online course)
2007: Supervising and Small Group Teaching (University of Cambridge)

Programming/scripting languages

python, IDL, C, php, html, css, basic Fortran, basic mysql

Languages

Native English speaker, basic conversational German, basic conversational Spanish

Supervising, Mentoring and Teaching

Primary Supervisor

2020: Allison Erena (STScI Space Astronomy Summer Program & National Astronomy Consortium)
2019: Tadeja Veršič (ESO Student Internship)
2015: A.T. Baldwin (STScI Space Astronomy Summer Program)

Co-supervisor

2019→: Tadeja Veršič (Graduate student, UVienna)
2017-2021: Danielle Rowland (STScI Space Astronomy Summer Program & National Astronomy Consortium)
2019: Matt Wilkinson (ESO Summer Research Program)
2011-2015: Alex Büdenbender (Graduate student, MPIA)

Mentor

2020→: Mentor in STScI Postdoc Mentoring program
2018-2019: Mentor in ESO Student Mentoring program

Small-group Teaching

One-to-one and one-to-two small group teaching.
2008-2009: Part 1A Natural Sciences Mathematics for Gonville and Caius College.
2007-2008: Part 1A Natural Sciences Mathematics for Gonville and Caius College.
2006-2007: Part 1A Natural Sciences Mathematics for Gonville and Caius College.

Talks & Conferences

2025/05: Conference XMC II: Clouds over Yellowstone Virtual (Invited Talk)
2024/09: Seminar JWST Proposal Planning Workshop 2024 Virtual (Invited Talk)
2024/09: Conference A Future Space Mission with Very High Precision Astrometry Paris, France (Invited Talk)
2024/01: Coffee Talk STScI, Baltimore, MD, USA
2023/08: Conference MODEST 23: Star Clusters in the Post-Pandemic Era Evanston, IL, USA (Talk)
2023/03: Conference IAUS 379: Dynamical Masses of Local Group Galaxies Potsdam, Germany (Talk)
2023/01: Seminar JWST Proposal Planning Workshop 2023 Virtual (Invited Talk)
2022/03: Colloquium University of Edinburgh, Virtual
2022/03: Coffee Talk STScI, Virtual
2022/02: Conference The Present and Future of Astronomy ESO Garching, Virtual
2021/05: Conference AAS DDA 52nd Annual Meeting Virtual (Talk | Video)
2019/09: Workshop Gaia Challenge V Paris, France
2019/06: Conference EWASS SS23: The dynamics of stellar clusters: simulations and observations at low/high redshifts Lyon, France (Invited Talk)
2019/05: Conference IAUS 351 & MODEST 19: Star Clusters: From the Milky Way to the Early Universe Bologna, Italy (Talk | Proceedings)
2019/04: Coffee Talk ESO, Garching, Germany
2019/03: Coffee Talk ESO, Garching, Germany
2019/03: Seminar STScI, Baltimore, MD, USA
2019/02: Colloquium IoA, Cambridge, UK
2019/01: Coffee Talk ESO, Garching, Germany
2018/11: Conference Survival of Dense Star Clusters in the Milky Way System Heidelberg, Germany (Invited Talk)
2018/10: Meeting Population Dynamics Retreat Riquewihr, France
2018/08: Conference IAU GA S348: 21st Century Astrometry: Crossing the Dark and Habitable Frontiers Vienna, Austria (Invited Talk)
2018/07: Coffee Talk STScI, Baltimore, MD, USA
2018/05: Meeting Globular Clusters with Gaia Community ISSI, Bern, Switzerland
2018/03: Conference Science with Precision Astrometry Baltimore, MD, USA (SOC co-chair)
2018/01: Meeting Globular Clusters with Gaia Community ISSI, Bern, Switzerland
2017/06: Conference AAS DDA Annual Meeting London, UK (Invited Talk | Video)
2017/05: Coffee Talk STScI, Baltimore, MD, USA
2017/02: Conference The Exciting Lives of Galactic Nuclei Ringberg, Germany (Invited Talk)
2016/10: Workshop Gaia Challenge IV Stockholm, Sweden (Talk)
2016/09: Conference MODEST 16 NYC: Gas and Gravitational Dynamics New York, NY, USA (Talk)
2016/08: Coffee Talk STScI, Baltimore, MD, USA
2016/04: Conference MODEST 16: Star Clusters as Cosmic Laboratories Bologna, Italy (Talk | Proceedings)
2016/03: Conference Mayacamas Astrophysics 2016 Calistoga, CA, USA (Invited Talk)
2016/03: Colloquium Harvard CfA, Cambridge, MA, USA (Video)
2016/02: Meeting STScI Postdoc Jamboree Baltimore, MD, USA
2016/01: Coffee Talk STScI, Baltimore, MD, USA
2015/10: Colloquium Texas A&M Mitchell Institute, College Station, TX, USA
2015/09: Workshop Gaia Challenge III Barcelona, Spain (Talk)
2015/07: Seminar Surrey Astrophysics, Guildford, UK
2015/06: Conference Local Group Astrostatistics Ann Arbor, MI, USA (Talk)
2015/01: Conference Black Holes in Dense Stellar Systems Aspen, CO, USA (Talk)
2014/11: Seminar MPIA, Heidelberg, Germany
2014/10: Workshop Gaia Challenge II Heidelberg, Germany (Talk)
2014/08: Seminar STScI, Baltimore, MD, USA (Video)
2014/07: Seminar IoA, Cambridge, UK
2014/02: Coffee Talk STScI, Baltimore, MD, USA
2014/01: Meeting 223rd Meeting of the AAS National Harbor, MD, USA (Talk)
2013/12: Seminar MPIA, Heidelberg, Germany
2013/08: Workshop Gaia Challenge Guildford, UK (Talk)
2013/08: Colloquium Königstuhl colloquium, Heidelberg, Germany
2013/08: Meeting Dynamical Modelling of the Milky Way Heidelberg, Germany (Talk)
2013/06: Conference Small Stellar Systems Prato, Italy (Talk)
2013/06: Seminar SFB881 collaboration, ARI, Heidelberg, Germany
2013/02: Colloquium Strasbourg Observatory, Strasbourg, France
2013/01: Meeting 221st Meeting of the AAS Long Beach, CA, USA (Poster)
2012/11: Meeting MPIA GC Retreat Lobbach, Germany (Talk)
2012/11: Seminar MPIA, Heidelberg, Germany
2012/04: Workshop Dynamics Meets Kinematic Tracers Ringberg, Germany (Invited Talk)
2012/02: Conference First light and faintest dwarfs Santa Barbara, CA, USA (Poster)
2011/10: Meeting MPIA GC Retreat Neuwied, Germany (Talk)
2011/09: Meeting Astronomische Gesellschaft Heidelberg, Germany
2011/07: Seminar IAC, Tenerife, Spain
2011/04: Conference Assembling the Puzzle of the Milky Way Le Grand-Bornand, France (Talk | Proceedings)
2010/11: Seminar MPIA, Heidelberg, Germany
2009/09: Conference Milky Way: Now and in the Gaia Era Heidelberg, Germany (Poster)
2008/03: Conference Galactic Structure and the Structure of Galaxies Ensenada, Mexico
2007/08: School The Milky Way Galaxy: dynamics - Evolution - Matter Cycle Heidelberg, Germany
2007/05: Conference The Milky Way Halo - Stars and Gas Bonn, Germany (Poster)

Media & Press Coverage

2020: ESA TV: Live discussion to celebrate Hubble's 30th anniversary
2019: CNN: How much weight would the Milky Way weigh if the Milky Way could be weighed?
2019: The Guardian: Scientists discover what the Milky Way weighs
2019: ESA Hubble Press Release: Hubble & Gaia accurately weigh the Milky Way
2019: NASA Hubble Press Release: What Does the Milky Way Weigh? Hubble and Gaia Investigate
2019: ESA News Story: Gaia clocks new speeds for Milky Way-Andromeda Collision
2018: Science News: Gaia delivers a trove of data revealing secrets of the Milky Way

Observing Experience

2010/09: INT/WFC - 5 nights, photometry of BHBs near the Pisces Overdensity
2009/09: INT/WFC - 7 nights, photometry of satellite candidates identified in SDSS
2008-2009: ESO/VLT - Phase II preparation for FORS2 (service mode) for two runs, one with single-slit spectroscopy and one with multi-slit spectroscopy.

References

Details available upon request.