cat about.txt

I'm a Postdoctoral Research Associate at California Institute of Technology (Caltech). I did my PhD in the Radio Astronomy Group at Trinity College Dublin, with a visiting position with Breakthrough Listen at UC Berkeley. My thesis, Exploring the Radio Sky for Natural and Artificial Transient Sources, was supervised by E.F. Keane.

download cv.pdf

Education

• 2022–26 PhD, Physics & Astrophysics — Trinity College Dublin
  • Thesis: Exploring the Radio Sky for Natural and Artificial Transient Sources
  • Advisor: E.F. Keane
• 2018–22 BSc (Hons.), Physics with Astronomy & Space Science — University College Dublin
  • Thesis: Using the Old Open Clusters for Galactic Tracing
  • Advisor: A. Martin-Carrillo

Appointments

• Present Postdoctoral Research Associate — California Institute of Technology (Caltech)
• Jun 2024 – Aug 2024 Researcher — Frontiers Development Lab (FDL.AI)
  • NASA Goddard (Planetary Environments Lab 699): AI/ML optimisation for mass spectrometer data products for current & future missions.
• Sep 2022 – Aug 2026 Visiting Researcher — UC Berkeley
  • Berkeley SETI Research Center: transient identification in the Breakthrough Listen archive
  • Novel AI/ML algorithms for processing
  • Commissioning & deployment of the GReX all-sky monitor
• May 2021 – Aug 2022 Astrophysics Research Assistant — UC Berkeley
  • Breakthrough Listen: joint radio-optical survey strategies
  • FRB/pulsar identification & characterisation in archive data
• Jan 2021 – May 2021 Research Intern — University College Dublin
  • EDI awareness in STEM teaching & learning: survey analysis & reporting

Skills

• C
• CUDA
• Python
• SQL
• Bash
• Awk
• LaTeX
• Julia

• LOFAR / Parkes / GBT data analysis
• Survey & pipeline design; transient detection
• Dynamic spectra & imaging analysis
• Backend development & deployment
• High-performance / GPU computing
• Radio instrumentation deployment
• Real-time AI/ML pipeline design & development

Teaching

• 2023–24 High School Intro to Coding — Walton Club (designed curriculum)
• 2022–24 Third Year Astrophysics Labs — Trinity College Dublin
• 2023 First Year Astrophysics Labs — Trinity College Dublin
• 2022 First Year Physics Labs — University College Dublin
• 2019 Intro to LaTeX Charity Workshop — UCD (designed curriculum)
• 2019–23 Private Physics & Mathematics Tutoring

Service

Professional

• 2022–Present Co-supervisor, Breakthrough Listen I-LOFAR interns
• 2024–Present NANOGrav Associate Member
• 2024–2025 LOC, European Astronomical Society 2025
• 2023–2024 Co-organiser, EAS Early Career Researcher’s Session
• 2022–Present Co-organiser, TCD Astronomy Dept Talk Series
• 2022–Present Chief Observer, LOFAR station IE613

Community

• Aug 2021–May 2022 Residential Assistant, UCD Estate Services (Volunteer)
• Mar 2019–May 2022 Senior Access Leader, UCD Access & Lifelong Learning
• May 2020–May 2021 Auditor/Chairperson, UCD Science Society (Volunteer)
  • Co-founded the Irish National Science Championship (INSC)

Outreach

• 2023–24 Walton Club Educator
• 2023 “Our Cosmic Address” — talks for students ages 8–12
• 2018–Present Primary/secondary school STEM outreach talks

Awards

• 2021 UCD President’s Award for Outstanding Leadership
• 2020 UCD Award: Recognition of Student Achievement in Teaching
• 2018 Outstanding Leaving Certificate Award
• 2018 Leaving Certificate Scholarship Award