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ABOUT
MY RESEARCH
What is dark matter? What is dark energy? What does the large-scale structure of our Universe look like and how did it come to be this way?
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These are some of the questions at the heart of my research.
In search of answers, I study how the light from millions of distant galaxies is weakly gravitationally lensed as it travels for billions of years through the cosmos to be captured by our telescopes here on Earth. The astronomical observations fuelling my work are taken by the Kilo-Degree Survey (KiDS), a collaboration in which I have an active role, often leading key scientific analyses.
Aided by machine learning methods and numerical simulations, I use observations from KiDS to test Einstein's Theory of General Relativity and investigate the nature of the dark side of our Universe.
WHO AM I
I am a Stephen Hawking Research Fellow at the University of Edinburgh. I completed my PhD, supervised by Prof Catherine Heymans at the University of Edinburgh, in 2019, before undertaking postdoc positions in Edinburgh and Barcelona.
My thesis focused on improving the precision of cosmological parameter constraints derived from weak gravitational lensing, using a combination of theoretical modelling, simulations and machine learning. Prior to this I received my Master's in Physics and Astronomy from the University of Birmingham in 2015.
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When not conducting research, you will find me engaging in science communication with the public, or performing music with the Edinburgh-based folk-rock ensemble, The Darjeeling Feeling.
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OUTREACH & TEACHING
I regularly engage in outreach through newspaper/magazine articles and interviews, delivering lectures to the public, and I have even appeared on the Edinburgh Festival Fringe performing science-themed stand-up (definitely more nerve-wracking than my thesis defence!) More information on these activities can be found below. Please get in touch if you have an outreach request.
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Teaching is also a large part of my academic life. I am proud to have supervised several Master's, Senior Honours and Summer Research students. Furthermore, I have lead or assisted in teaching courses on astronomy, quantum mechanics, special & general relativity and cosmology.
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RESOURCES
Links to my science & outreach
 My show, "Albert Einstein Ruined My Life" sold out at the Edinburgh Fringe 2024 |  I run Euclid-UK social media channels - follow us on Insta & Bluesky! |  My article in The Scotsman: how new research suggests that gravity might be more complicated than we think... |
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 My talk on anti-Black discrimination in astronomy for "Astronomy on Tap" - Oct. 2020. |  The Kilo-Degree Survey made a splash in the news, finding cracks in our understanding of the cosmos. Features scientific contributions from yours truly. |  A link to my peer-reviewed scientific publications |
 Download my easy-to-use Gaussian process emulator code from Github here. |  An article I wrote for The National newspaper about the joys of studying astronomy in Scotland. |  Outside of research, teaching and outreach, you can find me performing songs about space with The Darjeeling Feeling. |
 My YouTube Cosmology Talk with Shaun Hotchkiss. We discuss my recent paper on the latest data release from the Kilo-Degree Survey. |  A gravitational wave demo I built out of a hula hoop, spandex and a power drill, showcased in the National Museum of Scotland and countless Edinburgh pubs. |  I strongly believe in diversity and decolonisation initiatives in STEM. Find excellent resources here. |
 My virtual talk to the University of the Third Age Group on the Dark Universe. |  The European Southern Observatory presents new cosmological findings from the Kilo-Degree Survey, with science contributions from yours truly. |  Appearing at the international Pint of Science Festival 2018. Possibly shouting at a flat earther. |
 I was honoured to appear as an invited speaker to Glasgow's International Dark Matter Day 2018. |  Link to 'Scotland in Space': a collection of Scottish sci-fi stories which I contributed scientific illustrations to. |