Professor James Geach

About me and my research

I am a Royal Society University Research Fellow and Professor of Astrophysics based in the Centre for Astrophysics Research (CAR) at the University of Hertfordshire. I studied Physics at Imperial College London as an undergraduate, and then did my Ph.D. at Durham University under the expert tutelage of Ian Smail. After completing my thesis, I was a post-doc at Durham and Banting Fellow at McGill University before coming to CAR in 2013.

My research generally focuses on the formation and evolution of galaxies and observational cosmology, but I also investigate novel uses of machine learning in astrophysics and explore the application of these techniques in other fields, including medicine and agriculture. I like to dabble. Recently my interest has been in developing new techniques for the exploration and analysis of Earth Observation data. You can see some of this work here.

For a complete record of my research, you can find an up-to-date listing of publications and pre-prints at the NASA Astrophysics Data System. You can also read about some of my research in the press:

Galactic blow out
Lyman Alpha Blobs: Galaxies Coming of Age in Cosmic Blobs
Herschel Sees Intergalactic Bridge Aglow With Stars
Galaxy Goes Green in Burning Stellar Fuel
Astronomers Map Dark Matter Throughout the Entire Universe

Writing

I like trying to break down complex ideas into simple language, with a goal of explaining the cutting edge of astronomical research in a way that anyone can understand. I have written two popular science books, both published by Reaktion Books:

 

I have written feature articles for Scientific American and Sky & Telescope. I regularly contribute to The Conversation and also write the occasional piece on Medium.

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