Hi, welcome! I'm a Postdoc Research Associate at the Steward Observatory, University of Arizona, USA. Before that, I completed my Ph.D. in Astronomy from the Institute of Astronomy and Planetary Science (INCT-UDA), University of Atacama, Chile. and BS-MS in Physical Science from the Gauhati University, Assam, India. My research focuses on understanding the structure, stellar populations, and evolution of the Milky Way, the Magellanic Clouds, and nearby dwarf galaxies through observations from modern wide-field astronomical surveys. I combine observational astronomy with data science, statistical inference, and machine learning to study galaxies and stellar populations across a wide range of scales.
My work primarily utilizes data from large photometric and spectroscopic surveys, including Rubin, S-PLUS, Gaia, VVV/VVVX, OGLE, APOGEE, GALAH, LAMOST, and DESI. These are complemented by my own PI-led observing programs using facilities such as the Gemini Observatory, and T80 South Telescope (among others). Expertise includes applying data science techniques to astronomy, with demonstrated experience in large-scale data analysis, machine learning, and workflow automation. I develop automated pipelines capable of processing millions of astronomical sources to derive physical parameters, identify rare stellar populations, and discover faint nearby dwarf galaxies. I have a strong interest in leveraging data-driven approaches for both scientific discovery and broader real-world applications.
Career Highlights
- Postdoc research associate at Steward Observatory, University of Arizona, USA
- Ph.D. in Astronomy, INCT, University of Atacama, Chile
- Visiting Researcher, NSF NOIRLab, Tucson, Arizona, USA
- PI & Co-I of 175 hours+ of awarded telescope time
- Research spanning the Milky Way, the Magellanic Clouds, and nearby dwarf galaxies
- Extensive experience with Rubin, Gaia, DESI, S-PLUS, VVV/VVVX, OGLE, APOGEE, GALAH, and LAMOST
- Developing machine-learning methods for stellar populations and dwarf-galaxy discovery
Research Interests
Galactic Structure and Stellar Populations • Magellanic Clouds and Nearby Dwarf Galaxies • Variable Stars (Cepheids and RR Lyrae) • Time-Domain Astronomy • Large Astronomical Surveys • Machine Learning for Astronomy • Astrostatistics • Scientific Tools/Software Development
..on a personal note
I was born and raised in Assam, India, a state in northeastern India known for its lush landscapes, tea gardens, remarkable biodiversity, and the mighty Brahmaputra River. Growing up in this environment nurtured my curiosity about nature, which gradually evolved into a fascination with astronomy and the physical universe.
Outside research, I enjoy distance running, cricket, programming, and discussions on mathematics, philosophy, and spirituality. Earlier in life, I spent many years painting, and creating digital art. Although research now occupies most of my time, I continue to value creativity as an important part of scientific thinking and problem solving.
I am always interested in collaborations involving astronomy, data science, machine learning, and scientific computing. If you would like to discuss research, explore potential collaborations, or simply connect, feel free to contact me at debasish.academic@gmail.com.