Theory
Developing theoretical models of how galaxies and cosmic structures form and evolve.
I am an astrophysicist and computational scientist, currently the Independent Argelander Fellow at the University of Bonn, where I study how galaxies form and evolve — and how the physical processes behind that evolution shape the large-scale structure of the Universe.
In practice, I build theoretical models of galaxy formation, implement them in cosmological simulations and semi-analytical models, and test their predictions against observational data. A recurring theme of my work is how physical processes reshape the distribution and dynamics of baryonic matter relative to the dark matter, which evolves under gravity alone. In more technical terms, I develop interpretable, scalable, and predictive models for high-dimensional physical systems — combining analytical theory and numerical simulations with high-performance computing (HPC), machine learning, simulation-based inference, and GPU-accelerated scientific computing.
I received the 2023 Patzer Prize for introducing the Closure Radius, a characteristic scale that quantifies where ordinary matter displaced from its host dark matter halo becomes enclosed again. I am also a main developer and PI of several numerical simulation projects that connect theoretical models, computational methods, and cosmological big data.
I live in Bonn with my wife, and speak Persian, English, and German.
I describe my work as the intersection of theory, computation, and observation — with the goal of understanding the fundamental processes that govern the Universe.
Developing theoretical models of how galaxies and cosmic structures form and evolve.
Implementing them in cosmological simulations and semi-analytical models on HPC systems.
Testing the results against observational data, and letting what we see guide the next model.
MPA & Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München
with Guinevere Kauffmann and Simon White