I'm an Astronomy PhD researcher working at the Astronomisches-Rechen Institut and Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics, both in Heidelberg, Germany. Since April 2026 I am based at the European Southern Observatory in Garching for a one year studentship. I'm originally from Cork in Ireland, and obtained my BSc in Astronomy from the University of Groningen in The Netherlands.

Astronomy

My research is focused on massive stars, and their role in shaping the Universe as we see it today. I lead the (M)HD Simulations working group in the Extended Westerlund 1 & 2 Open Clusters Survey (EWOCS) collaboration, and I am co-leading a paper for the NewAthena special issue as part of Science Working Group 3. My interests include:

I also led a team at the Summer School Alpbach 2022. Afterwards, we wrote up our mission concept as a paper, which you can find here.

Science Education

During my bachelor studies, I co-authored a study of the impact of Problem-Based Instruction on undergraduate students, which you can read here. In my personal time I am working on a PhD in science education research at Maastricht University, focused on understanding the factors that motivate students to choose to study physics and astronomy at university.

Science Communication

I'm one of the co-hosts for the astro[sound]bites podcast, which you can learn more about here.. I've interned in science communication at the European Southern Observatory's Education and Public Outreach office, where I contributed to press releases and image captions. On the more practical side, I helped to develop and document physics demonstrations as a student assistant in Groningen, which you can read about here.

Contact Me

I'm always eager to discuss collaboration opportunities. If you'd like to get in touch, please send me an email!