GalaxyHalo Group @ UCSD
Our group’s research spans the evolution of the faintest galaxies in the nearby universe, the formation of cosmic structure, and the fundamental nature of dark matter. We tackle these problems using advanced cosmological simulations, computational and theoretical techniques, and the latest galaxy survey and gravitational lensing data.
Graduate Students and Postdocs
Ollie Jackson — Astronomy & Astrophysics Ph.D. Student — Katzin Prize Fellow and ARCS Foundation Fellow
Ollie is a graduate student using cosmological simulations to model strong gravitational lensing data and probe the nature of dark matter.
Ollie is a graduate student using cosmological simulations to model strong gravitational lensing data and probe the nature of dark matter.
Mia Mansfield — Astronomy & Astrophysics Ph.D. Student — NSF GRFP Fellow
Mia is joining the group in Fall 2026 and studying galaxy evolution in the local universe using simulations and survey data.
Mia is joining the group in Fall 2026 and studying galaxy evolution in the local universe using simulations and survey data.
Sandip Roy — Astronomy & Astrophysics and Schmidt AI in Sciences Postdoctoral Fellow
Sandip is developing simulations of galaxy and dark matter structure and using machine learning techniques to reveal observable signatures of new dark matter physics.
Sandip is developing simulations of galaxy and dark matter structure and using machine learning techniques to reveal observable signatures of new dark matter physics.
Wisha Wanichwecharungruang — Physics Ph.D. Student — Cambridge Part III MASt
Wisha is joining the group in Fall 2026 and developing semi-analytic models of subhalo and satellite galaxy populations to test fundamental physics.
Wisha is joining the group in Fall 2026 and developing semi-analytic models of subhalo and satellite galaxy populations to test fundamental physics.
Zewei Wu — Astronomy & Astrophysics Ph.D. Student — LSST Data Science Fellow
Zewei is a graduate student using hydrodynamic simulations of dwarf galaxies to advance galaxy formation theory and near field cosmology.
Zewei is a graduate student using hydrodynamic simulations of dwarf galaxies to advance galaxy formation theory and near field cosmology.
Undergraduate Students
- Stephen Canino — Undergraduate Research Assistant — Stephen is modeling the evolution of cosmic structure using high-resolution zoom-in simulations.
- Kaushal Jagdish — Undergraduate Research Assistant — Kaushal is studying the density profiles of dark matter halos in warm, fuzzy, and interacting dark matter models.
- Roxanne Lai — Undergraduate Research Assistant — Roxanne is analyzing dark matter substructure in self-interacting dark matter cosmologies.
Co-Advised Graduate Students
- Omar Kotrach — Physics Ph.D. Student — Omar is studying sterile neutrino dark matter production mechanisms and astrophysical constraints.
- Shahed Shayan Arani — Physics Ph.D. Student — Shasha is modeling halo evolution in mixed dark sector models with self-interactions.
Alumni
- Devontae Baxter — NSF AAPF and UC Chancellor’s Postdoctoral Fellow (2024-2026) — Moving to Princeton as a Future Faculty Fellow; our papers.
- Kimmy Dang — Undergraduate Summer Experience Award Fellow (2025) — Astronomy undergraduate at Yale.
- Bocheng Feng — Undergraduate Research Assistant (2025) — Moving to UT Austin as a Ph.D. student; our papers.
- Sophia Um — Astronomy & Astrophysics Thesis Student (2024-2026) — Moving to SDSU as a Masters student; our abstracts.
Group Photos
2025–2026
