Research Interests
Exoplanet detection & characterisation · Sub-Saturn formation & evolution · Radial velocity methods · Transit photometry · Planetary system architectures · Interior structure modelling
About Me
I am a PhD student at the Universitäts-Sternwarte München and the Max-Planck-Institut für extraterrestrische Physik, working under the supervision of Dr. Roberto Saglia in the OPINAS group. My research centres on the detection and characterisation of giant exoplanets from hot and warm Jupiters to the sub-Saturn population straddling the boundary between ice giants and gas giants.
Much of my observational work revolves around the Manfred Hirt Planet finder Spectrograph (MaHPS), which is the high-resolution spectrograph of the 2.1 m telescope at Wendelstein Observatory in the Bavarian Alps. I carry out precision radial-velocity follow-up of transiting planet candidates from the TESS mission, measuring their masses and confirming their planetary nature. I also contribute to the development and maintenance of the data reduction pipelines and have served as the on-site observer for more than 50 nights. Beyond individual discoveries, I am interested in studying the sub-Saturn population at large to understand their formation and evolution.
I was born and raised in Munich, Germany, where I also got my Bachelor's degree in Physics from the Ludwig-Maximilians University. After graduating in 2020, I went to University College London for my Master's degree. In 2021, I graduated with an MSc in Planetary Science. Subsequently, I started my PhD in Astronomy in May 2022.
Outside of research, I am an avid reader and viewer of fantasy and science fiction. I enjoy working out and do a variety of sports, including, Basketball, Badminton, and Padel. Together with my brother, I also do a pizza rating project across Munich — systematically working through the city's pizzerias one slice at a time. You can check out our current rankings here.