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I am an observational astronomer focussed on how the most massive galaxies in the Universe grow over time to be so enormous.

I undertook my PhD studies at Liverpool John Moores University in the UK looking at how the growth of massive galaxies depend on the rare, crowded, cluster environment in which they are found. After that I moved to Australia to work at Swinburne University in Melbourne, looking at how galaxies of all kinds depended on the more common, but less-crowded, group environment.

Since 2009 I have worked at the Australian Astronomical Observatory (AAO). At the AAO I have been involved in several major surveys of galaxies using the Anglo-Australian Telescope (AAT): WiggleZ (estimating the dark energy in the Universe by measuring distances to a sample of 200,000 galaxies), GAMA (observing 220,000 nearby galaxies using the ultraviolet, optical, and infrared light) and SAMI (looking at how environment affects the outer regions of 3,000 galaxies in more detail) as well as supporting other astronomers in using the camera that takes all of these observations. I currently hold an ARC Future Fellowship focussing on my massive galaxy research.

Experience

  • 2015–present
    ARC Future Fellow, Australian Astronomical Observatory
  • 2011–2014
    Research Astronomer, Australian Astronomical Observatory
  • 2009–2011
    Research Fellow, Australian Astronomical Observatory
  • 2005–2009
    Research Fellow, Swinburne University

Education

  • 2005 
    Liverpool John Moores University, PhD/Astronomy