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Cosimo Inserra  PhD, MSc, BSc

Dr Cosimo Inserra

(he/him)

PhD, MSc, BSc

Reader
Associate Dean of Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity - College of Physical Sciences and Engineering
Deputy Director of Research

School of Physics and Astronomy

Users
Available for postgraduate supervision

Overview

I am an observational astrophysicist working on cosmic explosions, called supernovae, that characterise the death of a star. My current research focuses on the brightest supernovae explosions, usually referred to as "superluminous supernovae", and their use as high-redshift probes. I am also interested in the role of interaction and shocks on astronomical transients, as well as those reaching their maximum light and fading soon after in a few weeks, usually referred to as Fast transients or Fast, Blue, Optical transients (FBOTs). I am also working on the implementation of machine learning techniques for transient astronomy to classify and categorise different kinds of supernovae and extreme transients.

I have been awarded the 2021 MERAC Prize as the Best Early Career Researcher in Observational Astrophysics for the investigation of the extremes of stellar explosions, providing a pioneering contribution to their understanding and their role in astronomy and astrophysics.

My institutional roles are the following:

  • Deputy Director of Research at the School of Physics and Astronomy
  • Associate Dean of Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity, College of Physical Sciences & Engineering
  • Chair of the Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity (EDI) Committee at the School of Physics and Astronomy
  • Member of the Cardiff University Gender Equality Steering Group

Publication

2024

2023

2022

2021

2020

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

2014

2013

2012

2011

Articles

Research

My research focuses on extreme supernovae and the follow-up of electromagnetic counterparts of gravitation waves. I am the Principal Investigator (PI) and Survey director of the most recent extension of the Public ESO Spectroscopic Survey for Transient Objects plus (ePESSTO+, ~540 nights awarded by ESO), as well as one of the eight leaders of the original survey (PESSTO) and its first extension (ePESSTO). I was also science PI of the 'Superluminous supernova' and 'Fast transients' groups in the ePESSTO collaboration. I am one of the LSST:UK PIs and the LSST:UK Point of Contact (POC) for transient astronomy. as well as part of the LSST:UK Executive board.

I am the FORS2 instrument scientist in the ENGRAVE consortium, a European collaboration targeting electromagnetic counterparts of gravitational waves. I am a member of LSST Dark Energy Science Collaboration (DESC), LSST transient and variable stars (TVS) group, as well as of the Euclid Consortium leading the extreme supernova science (see here the Euclid Deep Field Strategy - https://bit.ly/2Gce3B3). I am also a member of the LIGO consortium.

Teaching

  • I am currently the module organiser (MO) for the 4th year Physics Project (PX3350).
  • I have been the module organiser (MO) for the 3rd year (BSc, MPhys) and MSc course High-Energy Astrophysics (PX3245/PXT214) from 2019/2020 to 2023/2024.

Biography

Academic appointments

Reader
  • August 2023  -  present ; School of Physics and Astronomy, Cardiff University
Senior Lecturer
  • August 2021  -  July 2023 ; School of Physics and Astronomy, Cardiff University
Lecturer
  • November 2018  - July 2021 ; School of Physics and Astronomy, Cardiff University
Research Fellow
  • February 2017 - October 2018 ; Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Southampton
  • April 2012 - January 2017 ; Astrophysics Research Centre, Queen’s University Belfast

Education and qualifications

February 2012 - PhD in Physics and Astronomy, University of Catania, Italy (in collaboration with the University of Oklahoma)

Honours and awards

  • The 2021 MERAC Prize as the Best Early Career researcher in Observational Astrophysics (in Europe) for the investigation of the extremes of stellar explosions, providing a pioneering contribution to their understanding and their role in astronomy and astrophysics.
  • The Royal Astronomical Society Winton Capital Award 2017 - Winner and highly commended as the UK postdoctoral fellow with the most promising development in Astronomy.
  • Marie Curie COFUND Fellowship, 2016, declined.
  • The Queen's University Vice-Chancellor's Postdoctoral Research Prize 2016 - Shortlisted finalist. Highly commended for the work in astronomy and supernovae.
  • The Queen's University Vice-Chancellor's Postdoctoral Research Prize 2015 - Shortlisted finalist. Highly commended for the work in astronomy and supernovae.

Professional memberships

  • Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) UK Principal Investigator, Point of Contact for transient astronomy, LSST:UK executive board member
  • Euclid consortium - leading the extreme supernovae science
  • European Astronomical Society (EAS) fellow

Committees and reviewing

  • STFC Astronomy Advisory Panel (AAP, 2024 - present)
  • LSST:UK liaison with the Alan Touring Space Science Interest group
  • STFC Education, Training and Careers Committee (ETCC) panel member (2023 - present)
  • Athena SWAN Panelist (2017-2020) and then from 2022 onward
  • Science and Technology Facility Council (STFC) Ernest Rutherford Fellowship (ERF) panel member (sifting and interview - 2019-2022)
  • UKRI - Future Leadership Fellowship reviewer
  • Royal Society University Research fellowship reviewer
  • Journal Reviewer: Science, Nature Astronomy, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society (MNRAS), The Astrophysical Journal (ApJ)
  • Reviewer for grant applications for the French Research National Council and the Estonian Research Council
  • Reviewer of astronomical proposals for the Hubble Space Telescope, the European Southern Observatory (ESO), the 4m William Herschel Telescope, the 3.6m Canada- Hawaii France Tel., the 2m Liverpool Telescope and the OPTICON-Radionet

Supervisions

Current supervision

Callum Aubrey

Callum Aubrey

Graduate Demonstrator

Contact Details

Email InserraC@cardiff.ac.uk

Campuses Queen's Buildings - North Building, Room Room N/3.19, 5 The Parade, Newport Road, Cardiff, CF24 3AA

Specialisms

  • Cosmology and extragalactic astronomy
  • Extragalactic Transients
  • High Energy Astrophysics
  • Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity