Summary
In my current research, I study and develop numerical models for brain cancer (glioblastoma multiforme). My project draws on detailed agent-based models and different machine learning algorithms for inference, including, but not limited to, neural networks and Gaussian processes. Through my work, I collaborate with experimental research groups at the Institute of Clinical Sciences at Imperial College and the Department of Cancer Biology at UCL. Moreover, I am one of the three postdoc representatives at the department.
Background
I am an astrophysicist by training. During my PhD at the Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics, I developed models describing stellar structures. I focused on the outermost turbulent layers of stellar atmospheres, drawing on multi-dimensional magneto-hydrodynamic simulations. By combining these simulations with state-of-the-art stellar evolution codes, I was able to overcome a major discrepancy between model predictions and observations that had haunted the field for decades. The improved stellar models were applied to data from the Kepler survey and showed great success for solar-like stars. During my subsequent postdoc at the University of Birmingham, I continued my project and turned to red giants, a later evolutionary state.