Project Supervisors

I work on a wide range of topics with my local group and in collaboration with members of three large international collaborations. The central focus of my research is to understand how the observed pattern of fundamental particles and forces emerged, using information carried by gravitational waves from the earliest moments of the Universe. To this end, I collaborate with the Global And Modular BSM Inference Tool (GAMBIT) Community to study theoretical frameworks that extend the standard models of particle physics and cosmology, with the aim of uncovering the nature of dark matter, dark forces, and dark energy. Within the Cherenkov Telescope Array Observatory (CTAO) Consortium, I investigate the possibility of detecting dark matter in the centre of our galaxy and beyond. With colleagues in the Compact Linear Collider (CLiC) Collaboration, I explore the prospects for discovering new particles and forces through colliders and other terrestrial experiments.

Selected themes of my research include:

• "Revealing the foundations of physics via gravitational waves from the early Universe"
• "Understanding the origin of visible and dark matter through the stochastic gravitational wave background"
• "Uncovering the next generation of standard models with GAMBIT"
• "Using the Higgs boson to search for dark matter particles and other new physics"
• "Detecting dark matter with the Cherenkov Telescope Array (with Prof Eric Thrane)"

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For further details or alternative project arrangements, please contact: csaba.balazs@monash.edu.

My work focuses on experimental research in quantum sensing and quantum microscopy using the nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centre in diamond. In particular, we are interested in applying quantum sensing for examining and imaging the magnetic fields from exotic conducting materials (e.g. superconductors, topological insulators), performing high bandwidth and high sensitivity vector magnetic sensing and developing catheter probe based magnetic sensors for biological applications. To perform quantum sensing, we optically read-out the NV centre's electron spin state to quantify the perturbing effect of nearby interactions. In this research, you need to understand how spins interact with their environment and how to read-out and control single spins. This requires understanding of concepts like atom optics, magnetic resonance, spin-Hamiltonians and time-dependent perturbations. Our experiments require hand-on experimental use of optics (e.g. lasers, detectors, lenses, etc.), microwave, RF and DC electronics, magnetic fields and control systems. In addition to this, simulations of electron spins and subsequent data analysis are also an important aspect of our work.

• "Wide-field quantum microscopy of exotic materials" (with Prof Kris Helmerson)
• "High-bandwidth continuous magnetic sensing of an ensemble of electric spins" (with Prof Kris Helmerson)
• "Developing a spatially sensitive optical magnetometer catheter probe" (with Prof Kris Helmerson)
• "Wide-field coherent phase imaging of AC magnetic fields" (with Prof Kris Helmerson)

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For further details or alternative project arrangements, please contact: michael.barson@monash.edu.

I supervise a wide range of projects stellar astronomy. They include modelling stars in 1D or 3D, deciphering the origin of the elements (stellar nucleosynthesis), and observing using optical telescopes (high-resolution spectroscopy) and space-based telescopes (asteroseismology). The uniting theme of these research projects is to expand our understanding of stars with masses similar to the Sun, which are some of the most numerous stars in the Universe.

• "Weighing stars using stellar vibrations: Asteroseismic masses of Red Giant Stars using space telescope data"
• "Using optical telescope spectroscopy and Gaia data of star clusters to decipher the mystery of the Lithium-rich giant stars" (with Prof John Lattanzio)
• "The origin of the heavy elements: Computer simulations of neutron-capture nucleosynthesis in violent episodes suffered by ancient stars" (with Dr Carolyn Doherty)
• "Applying 3D stellar hydrodynamics findings to 1D stellar codes: Improving the modelling of convection in stars"

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For further details or alternative project arrangements, please contact: simon.campbell@monash.edu.

My research focuses on understanding stars: their evolution and chemical composition, and how they move throughout our galaxy. Most of what we know about the universe comes from starlight, but the detailed interaction between matter and light in the extreme conditions of stellar interiors is still poorly understood. Despite this, stars remain the ideal laboratories to understand how galaxies form, to trace the chemical enrichment of the universe, and even to better understand planet formation. Most of my research involves huge data sets with observations of all different kinds (e.g., photometry, spectroscopy, astrometry) using massive optical telescopes on Earth and in space (e.g., Hubble, Gaia, JWST, Kepler, TESS). My group develops cutting-edge models to extract the most from noisy data and to better understand our place in the cosmos. I am a member of most large stellar spectroscopic surveys (e.g., Gaia, SDSS-V, 4MOST, GALAH, Gaia-ESO), providing access to pan-optic data across all visible and infrared wavelengths.

The Gaia Data Release 4 will be made available in 2026, making it a perfect time to work on first science projects from this revolutionary mission.

• "Wobbling stars reveal their hidden companions: finding planets, stars, and black holes through astrometric motion"
• "The fundamental physics that governs starlight"
• "First science with the Sloan Digital Sky Survey"
• "Data-driven methods for stellar spectroscopy"
• "Chemical abundances in star clusters using Korg, the first spectral synthesis code developed in two decades"

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For further details or alternative project arrangements, please contact: andrew.casey@monash.edu

Honours projects under my supervision are undertaken as part of a much larger interdisciplinary research collaboration centred around developing X-ray phase contrast methods for neuroimaging. These projects have a heavy emphasis on fostering the computational and research skills necessary to successfully either undertake a future PhD project or transition to industry. This work will include experiments and data analysis, capturing images—utilising an emerging imaging modality—to quantify the resulting phase effects that arise as X-rays pass through matter, achieving high contrast and high spatial resolution not currently achievable with existing clinical modalities. New computational methods and imaging techniques may be developed to implement X-ray phase contrast for neuroimaging, using state-of-the-art photon-counting detectors and advancing novel tech from early stages toward preclinical applications, as a stepping stone toward the long-term goal of clinical translation. Experiments may be performed using multiple X-ray sources, from the synchrotron to the laboratory, and using a variety of imaging techniques, from direct imaging to computed tomography, to develop methods for implementation under a diverse range of conditions. Possible projects include:

• "Imaging white matter injury in situ using a highly-coherent microfocus X-ray source: a critical step toward clinical translation"
• "Unlocking the mysteries of the body's least understood organ: Developing 3D imaging methods for exploring the brain at the micron scale"

Linda's web page

X-ray Imaging group web page

For further details or alternative project arrangements, please contact: linda.croton@monash.edu.

I supervise a broad portfolio of projects in surface and materials physics, with a strong focus on novel electronic materials such as topological insulators, moiré metamaterials, and atomically thin quantum systems. These materials host electronic states that can be steered, confined, or even transported with minimal dissipation, offering pathways toward ultra‑low‑energy switching and memory technologies that may one day surpass conventional silicon electronics.

Much of this work sits within the Monash–Warwick Alliance Major Project I lead on atomically thin materials for low‑energy electronics — a five‑year collaboration integrating materials growth, advanced microscopy and spectroscopy, nanoelectronic device fabrication, and machine‑learning‑accelerated modelling.

As a member of my group, you will work in world‑class laboratories in the New Horizons building at Monash University, with opportunities to conduct experiments at the Australian Synchrotron and partner synchrotrons worldwide.

Students grow materials atom‑by‑atom — often only a single layer thick — or assemble stacked 2D heterostructures, and probe their electronic structure using techniques such as photoemission, scanning probe microscopy, cryogenic transport, and nano‑device measurements. You will join a collaborative cohort spanning theory, experiment, and device engineering, with access to national facilities, joint Monash–Warwick workshops, and specialist training.

• Probing the electronic properties of Kagome metals and superconductors — exploring flat bands, topology, and correlated phases.
• Growth and characterisation of 2D topological materials — MBE growth, ARPES, STM, and transport
• Realising new intrinsic magnetic topological insulators — targeting dissipationless edge transport for device applications.
• Moiré metamaterials — engineering electronic and topological textures in twisted and strained heterostructures.
• Tuneable quantum phases — superconductivity, ferroelectricity, and correlated behaviour in 2D systems.
• Low‑energy device prototypes — cleanroom fabrication and cryogenic testing of switching and memory devices.

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For further details or alternative project arrangements, please contact: ,mark.edmonds@monash.edu.

My area of expertise is condensed matter theory. I am interested in the interplay between interactions and unconventional electronic properties of novel materials including graphene, topological insulators and Weyl semimetals. The former favours quantum states of matter (e.g. excitonic superfluidity, quantum magnetism, superconductivity), while the latter makes their optical and transport properties to be unconventional. I have projects available within the following research areas (at both Honours or PhD level):

• "Excitons and excitonic superfluidity in monolayer semiconductors"
• "Interplay of Dirac electrons and magnetism in topological insulators"
• "Plasmonics in monolayer materials"

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  For further details or alternative project arrangements, please contact: dmitry.efimkin@monash.edu

I am an experimental particle physicist that works on the search for phenomena that are beyond our current theoretical understanding in terms of the Standard Model of Particle Physics. The research is carried out within the LHCb collaboration that runs one of the four large experiments at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN as well as towards future collider developments. I supervise a number of projects that involve data analysis, the application of artificial intelligence, the development of new detection techniques, and the exploration of new experimental methods through collaboration with our theoretical colleagues. All research takes place within our dynamic particle physics research group with academics and postdocs, as well as graduate and undergraduate students. Some work will be purely computational while other work will involve time spent in the lab.

• Search for physics beyond the Standard Model in penguin decays in data from the LHCb experiment.
• Identify particle identification requirements for a future e+e- collider.
• Measure branching fractions of baryonic multi-strange decays.
• Photon detector characterisation for a future Time of Flight detector at CERN.

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To discuss a possible project, please contact: ulrik.egede@monash.edu

I supervise computational projects in electron microscopy imaging for investigating materials at atomic resolution. Some projects centre on analysing experimental data acquired by experimental colleauges in the School, in the Monash Centre for Electron Microscopy (MCEM) and abroad, with the goal of extracting the maximum of scientific information. Other projects centre on image simulations that help inform or design future experiments. As a researcher in my group, you would not only develop imaging theory and analysis tools to answer science questions about where the atoms are, what they are, and how they bond in materials, but also develop transferable skills in scientific computing, data analysis and visualisation.

• "Machine learning for atomic-scale structure determination in thick nanostructures" (with Dr Alireza Sadri)
• "Geometric-flow across diffraction patterns in 4D scanning transmission electron microscopy" (with Dr Timothy Petersen and Prof Michael Morgan)
• "Prospects for atomic-resolution magnetic field imaging"
• "Symmetry of local structures in glasses" (with Dr Amelia Liu and Dr Timothy Petersen)

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For further details or alternative project arrangements, please contact: scott.findlay@monash.edu.

I am an experimental particle physicist and I specialise in the study of particles containing the beauty and charm quarks. My research aims to help improve our understanding our universe by comparing our experimental observations to predictions made using the Standard Model of Particle Physics.
I am a member of the LHCb collaboration, one of the four large experiments at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN in Geneva. During the past few years vast datasets have been collected, allowing us to probe the Standard Model with world-leading sensitives.
Research projects typically involve analysing large datasets and developing experimental techniques, including the use of artificial intelligence. There are also opportunities to be involved in the development and testing of new hardware for the next generation of particle detectors.

• Measuring the production of particles containing two heavy quarks to test our understanding of QCD
• Developing new particle identification detectors for a future upgrade of the LHCb experiment
• Searching for matter-antimatter differences in charm hadron decays
• Developing new probes to characterise proton-proton collisions

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For further details or alternative project arrangements, please contact tom.hadavizadeh@monash.edu

I work on the study of massive and supermassive stars (10-100,000 solar masses); the first generations of stars in the universe (Pop III stars); evolution of rotating massive stars and the spin of their remnants (including predictions for GW sources); mixing and transport processes in the stellar interior; nucleosynthesis and the origin of elements, including galacto-chemical evolution - which elements are made where and when; supernovae (mechanisms and nucleosynthesis); gamma-ray bursts and their progenitors; modelling of Type I X-ray bursts and superbursts (thermonuclear explosions on the surface of neutron stars); stellar rotation of misaligned systems (internal rotation evolution, binary and multiple stars dynamics and interaction).  Please feel free to come by my office or drop me an email if you like to learn more.

Possible research project comprise a wide range of topics in stellar evolution and nucleosynthesis, including stellar explosions, stellar and planetary dynamics, and neutron stars, with particular focus on modelling and simulation.  Some example projects include:

• "The impact of stellar rotation on the nucleosynthesis in the first generation of stars"
• "Stripping of planets by interaction with supermassive black holes"
• "Steady-state accretion onto neutron stars in general relativity" (with Prof Paul Lasky)
• "Stability of triple star systems with tides" (with Dr Rosemary Mardling)
• "Uncovering the nature of the first stars from observed stellar abundances"

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For further details or alternative project arrangements, please contact: alexander.heger@monash.edu.

I supervise a wide range of projects in stellar astrophysics, with a focus on low and intermediate-mass stars, which have masses similar to or slightly larger than our Sun. This work is carried out within the Centre of Excellence for Astrophysics in 3D: ASTRO 3D. As a member of my group, you will have the opportunity to interact with astronomers across Australia and the world, in fields as diverse as cosmolgy, galaxy evoltion and stellar astrophysics.  Students in my group primarily perform numerical simulations of stars, in order to study broad questions related to the origin of the elements in the Universe, e.g., where did the carbon in your bodies come from? What type of star made it? Generally we study stars in their final phases of evolution, when they become ageing red giants which is when the most interesting thermonuclear reactions occur deep in their interiors; the red giant phase is also when stars are more likely to interact with a gravitionally bound companion, if they have one! Students in my group also work on theoretical studies of stars with binary companions including studying the rates of classical novae and the impact of a binary companion on a star's ability to make elements.

• "Studying the origin of the new discovered class of weak CN stars in the Magellanic Clouds using stellar variability"
• "How do stars merge? Studying the merger between low and intermediate-mass main-sequence stars using stellar evolution" (with Prof Ilya Mandel)
• "The impact of new carbon burning rates on the AGB-supernovae mass boundary" (with Prof Alexander Heger)
• "The connection between novae and Type Ia supernovae"

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For further details or alternative project arrangements, please contact: amanda.karakas@monash.edu.

Roentgen’s Nobel Prize-winning discovery of X-rays enabled us to non-destructively image inside the body, birthing medical diagnostic imaging and revolutionising materials characterisation. Absorption of X-rays in an object provides conventional X-ray image contrast, but absorption of this ionizing radiation can induce cancer with sufficient exposure. However, X-rays also refract and scatter in materials and we utilise these non-absorbed X-rays to massively increase image contrast and reduce radiation exposure using coherent synchrotron radiation. We have developed these “phase contrast” and “dark field” imaging techniques to solve many important problems in biology and change clinical practice in respiratory medicine.

Our ongoing research program involves developing new imaging technologies through theory and simulation and/or experimental design and testing; developing new image reconstruction algorithms for providing more information with less radiation; and applying our techniques to biomedical applications. Students will have access to our X-ray imaging laboratory in the New Horizons Research Centre for developing new technology. We also regularly perform experiments at the Australian Synchrotron and the Super Photon Ring (SPring-8) Synchrotron in Japan, where our students also regularly conduct their own experiments.

• Colour (spectroscopic) X-ray imaging in multiple spatial and temporal dimensions
• Quantitative functional lung imaging using near field X-ray speckle
• Ultra-low dose Computed Tomography for lung, brain or breast imaging.
• Dark field X-ray imaging
• Translating new x-ray imaging techniques from the synchrotron to the laboratory
• Transforming breast cancer imaging with x-ray phase contrast

Webpage: https://xrayimagingmonash.wordpress.com/

For further details or alternative project arrangements, please contact: marcus.kitchen@monash.edu

I am interested in the most catastrophic and explosive collisions in the Universe, such as the mergers of neutron stars and black holes. I study these using both gravitational waves and electromagnetic signatures, primarily focussed on linking the data from these exciting experiments with our theoretical understanding of gravity and the most extreme regions of the Universe. I am a member of the global LIGO Scientific Collaboration, as well as Australia's OzGrav Centre of Excellent for Gravitational-wave Discovery.

• "Nuclear astrophysics from gravitational waves: understanding dense matter in neutron stars"
• "Gravitational-wave cosmology: measuring the Universe without a distance ladder"
• "Building NEMO: The science case for a dedicated high-frequency gravitational-wave observatory"
• "Searching for physics beyond general relativity with gravitational-waves" (with Prof Eric Thrane)
• "Improving the sensitivity of gravitational-wave detectors" (with Prof Eric Thrane)

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For further details or alternative project arrangements, please contact: paul.lasky@monash.edu.

My research focuses on strongly interacting quantum systems at the interface between condensed matter physics and ultracold atomic gases. In particular, I am interested in the interplay between few- and many-body physics in scenarios ranging from superfluids to quantum impurity problems to light-matter coupled systems. A large part of my work is carried out within the Australian Centre of Excellence for Future Low-Energy Electronics Technologies. I have projects available within the following areas, all of which can be tailored to either honours or PhD level.

• "Quantum impurities in quantum gases"
• "Ultrafast dynamics of quantum matter"
• "Interactions between strongly coupled light-matter quasiparticles"
• "Atomically thin materials coupled to light"
• "Periodically driven many-body systems"

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For further details or alternative project arrangements, please contact: jesper.levinsen@monash.edu.

Glasses are a mystery that confounds modern condensed matter physics, yet disordered, glassy assemblies form from particles at many length sclaes (granules, colloids, atoms). My research aims to uncover the role of structure in the glass transition and how the disordered structure of a glass gives rise to unique glass behaviour such as ageing and brittle mechanical failure. Unlike crystals which possess translational symmetry, the role of structure and symmetry in glasses is not established. This research programme involves the development of new x-ray and electron diffraction-based methods to understand glass structures. Students in my team will be able to perform measurements at the Monash Centre for Electron Microscopy or the Australian Synchrotron. They will have the opportunity to collaborate with leading researchers in glass science/engineering and diffraction physics/crystallography in Australia and around the world.

• "Local structure and symmetry in metallic glasses" (with Assoc Prof Scott Findlay and Dr Tim Petersen (MCEM))
• "Flow defects and localisation of strain in hard-sphere glasses" (with Dr Tim Petersen (MCEM))
• "Localisation of excitations and relaxations in glasses" (with Dr Tim Petersen (MCEM))
• "Frustration and complexity in glasses" (with Dr Tim Petersen (MCEM))
• "Local structures in soft colloidal materials with anisotropic particles" (with Prof Rico Tabor (Chemistry))

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For further details or alternative project arrangements, please contact: amelia.liu@monash.edu.

I supervise a wide range of projects at the intersection of photonics and nanotechnology, investigating how we can efficiently control light on the nanoscale. Applications are in areas such as optoelectronics, green energy, and fundamental quantum optics. As a member of my group you will have the opportunity to work with my DECRA sub-group leader Dr. Haoran Ren, and also with my research team at Imperial College London. I graduated in Applied Physics from Caltech, and have held academic positions at the University of Bath, Imperial College London, and the University of Munich. In March 2022 I joined Monash University as the new Head of School of Physics and Astronomy. In addition to my research at Monash, I hold the Lee-Lucas Chair in Experimental Physics at Imperial College London. Our research work is highly interdisciplinary and topical, and by now 21 people from my lab hold faculty positions all over the world.

• Nanostructured materials for efficient solar energy conversion
• Optical metasurfaces for quantum optics (with Dr Haoran Ren)
• Nanophotonic optical biosensors (with Dr Haoran Ren)
• Marrying photonics with 2D materials at the nanoscale (with Dr Haoran Ren)

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For further details or alternative project arrangements, please contact: stefan.maier@monash.edu.

I am interested in all aspects of theoretical astrophysics, with a particular focus on strong gravitational fields, compact objects, and gravitational-wave astronomy.  I am currently  exploring the evolution of massive binary stars into compact binaries as sources of gravitational-waves and astrophysical inference on gravitational-wave observations.  My research group on massive binary evolution -- also known as Team COMPAS -- includes a number of amazing undergraduate and graduate students, postdocs, alumni, and other fantastic collaborators. Please contact me if you are interested in joining our group!

Possible projects involve massive stellar binaries, gravitational-wave data analysis, astrostatistics, dynamics in galactic centres and globular clusters, probes of general relativity in the strong-field regime, tidal disruption events, kilonovae and gamma ray burst afterglows.  Some examples include:

• What do the spins of merging black holes tell us about binary evolution?
• Where are low-mass X-ray binaries formed?
• Why does the velocity distribution of hypervelocity stars ejected from the Galactic centre not match expectations?
• How are the birth masses and natal kicks of neutron stars and black holes determined by the collapsing massive stars?
• When do binary interactions give rise to luminous red novae?

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For further details or alternative project arrangements, please contact: ilya.mandel@monash.edu

Conventional x-ray imaging is firmly established as an invaluable tool in medicine, security, research and manufacturing. However, conventional methods extract only a fraction of the sample information that is encoded in the x-ray wavefield as it passes through the sample. My research aims to tap into the wavefield phase to reveal weakly-attenuating objects like the lungs that are almost invisible in conventional imaging, and to access a complementary ‘dark-field’ signal that originates from tiny sample structures. We do this by designing and implementing novel experimental set-ups and analytical imaging methods, then working with collaborators to apply these methods to biomedical research, diagnostic imaging and beyond. Research projects vary from purely theoretical, to computational, experimental and applied. My students regularly visit the Australian Synchrotron and the SPring-8 synchrotron in Japan to collect images, and we have an ongoing close collaborations with groups in Germany, New Zealand and Italy.

• "Structuring x-ray light to investigate the macro and microscale"
• "Dark-field x-ray imaging without optics"
• "Adding time to the X-ray Fokker-Planck Equation" (with Prof David Paganin)
• "Translating new x-ray imaging techniques from the synchrotron to the laboratory" (with A/Prof Marcus Kitchen)
• "Transforming cancer imaging with x-ray phase contrast"

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For further details or alternative project arrangements, please contact: kaye.morgan@monash.edu.

My interests span a wide range of topics in theoretical physics, including: geometric phases, topological defects in matter and radiation fields, inverse problems (scalar and vector tomography), singular optics, using electrons, atoms and light and the exploration of complex systems using statistical field theory.

• "Catastrophes on order-parameter manifolds" (with Dr Alexis Bishop and Dr Timothy Peterson). This project combines both theory and experiment.
• "Geometric-flow across diffraction patterns in 4D scanning transmission electron microscopy” (with Dr Scott Findlay and Dr Timothy Peterson).
• "Statistical field theory applied to complex networks”
• "Quantum geometrogenesis – Graph theoretic approaches to building spacetime”

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For further details or to discuss alternative project arrangements, please contact: Michael.J.Morgan@monash.edu.

I offer projects broadly related to supernova explosions and the final stages in the lives of massive stars. Specific topics of interest include fluid dynamics processes in stellar explosions and stellar interiors, birth properties of black holes and neutron stars, supernova light curves and spectra, gravitational waves, neutrino astrophysics, the production of heavy elements stellar explosions, and the development of numerical methods for astorphysical fluid dynamics and radiation transport. Projects may employ a range of approaches from analytic modelling and numerical calculations on desktop computers to large-scale multi-dimensional simulations on high-end supercomputers, depending on your interests and inclinations.

• "Modelling extreme supernova explosions: From fast and faint to bright and powerful" (with Prof Mandel)
• "Convection, Rotation, and Magnetic Fields in Massive Stars" (with Prof Mandel)
• "Numerical Methods for Neutrino Transport"
• "Connecting supernova explosions to neutron star and black hole birth properties" (with Prof Mandel)
• "Multi-Messenger Signals (Photons, Neutrinos, Gravitational Waves) from Supernovae"

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For further details or alternative project arrangements, please contact: bernhard.mueller@monash.edu.

I supervise projects considering the evolution of accretion discs and their connection to observations. In particular, I consider discs that are warped or distorted (not flat). This geometry has been directly observed in planet forming discs around young stars (protoplanetary discs) and is inferred to be occurring around black hole discs. My research projects use a combination of 3D and 1D simulations to better understand the evolution of these discs and synthetic observations to compare to real observations. Possible projects include:

• "The evolution of dust in warped discs with different temperature profiles"
• "Generating synthetic observations of warped discs from 1D simulations"

I am also open to co-supervision with other members of the department.

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For further details or alternative project arrangements, please contact: rebecca.nealon@monash.edu.

My research focuses on the theory of strongly correlated phenomena in cold atomic gases and electron systems. Particular topics of interest include low-dimensional quantum systems, superconductivity and quantum impurities. I was previously part of the Australian Centre of Excellence for Future Low-Energy Electronics Technologies (FLEET), where I led the theoretical effort on light-matter coupled systems. I have projects available within the following areas, all of which can be tailored to either honours or PhD level.

• "Quantum impurities in quantum gases"
• "Interactions between strongly coupled light-matter quasiparticles"
• "Atomically thin materials coupled to light"
• "Periodically driven many-body systems"

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For further details or alternative project arrangements, please contact: meera.parish@monash.edu.

Understanding factors related to student retention and experience in physics and astrophysics major units.

Using quantitative (surveys) and qualitative data (interviews with students) this project aims to explore who takes physics and astrophysics major units, why they pursue them, and what obstacles they may face. There are a number of research questions under this umbrella.

• Computational practices in professional physics and students' engagement in these practices
• The role of agency in students learning physics practice
• A mixed-method, longitudinal study on factors related to retention in the physics major
• Periodically driven many-body systems

Research Profile

For further details or alternative project arrangements, please contact: anna.phillips@monash.edu.

I am an ARC Future (former DECRA) Fellow and lead the Structured Nanophotonics Group at Monash University. My research in nanophotonics explores the full potential and multi-dimensional nature of light, focusing on controlled light-matter interactions at the nanoscale. Driven by the fascinating optical physics and photonic applications across various fields, my work spans many topical areas in optics-related research.

I have available PhD and Honours projects. If you are interested in our nanophotonics research—a dynamic field in applied physics where you can bring your innovative designs to life in breakthrough experiments—please reach out.

• "Quantum nanophotonic chips"
• "Structured-light imaging and spectroscopy”
• “Meta-optics and meta-waveguides"
• "2D materials and Lightwave valleytronics"
"Machine-learning-based imaging processing"

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For further details or alternative opportunities, please contact: haoran.ren@monash.edu.

The goal of my research is to synthesize and characterize low-dimensional nanomaterials with atomic-scale precision and tailored electronic, optoelectronic, magnetic and chemical properties. In my group, we synthesise these functional nanomaterials from the bottom-up, using protocols of molecular beam epitaxy and on-surface supramolecular chemistry. We study these systems by means of low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy, non-contact atomic force microscopy, photoelectron and x-ray absorption spectroscopies, and time-resolved pump-probe techniques. Our experiments are supported by quantum mechanical theoretical formalisms. Our fundamental findings yield promise for future applications in electronics, optoelectronics, spintronics, information processing and storage, sensing and catalysis, with enhanced efficiencies and functionalities. This research is performed within the ARC Centre of Excellence for Future Low-Energy Electronics Technologies. As a member of my team, you will interact with Australian and international researchers in the fields of solid-state physics, materials science and nanotechnology, gaining state-of-the-art expertise in these areas of research.

• "2D organic nanomaterials for future electronics, optoelectronics and spintronics"
• "Light-transformed materials"
• "Theoretical and numerical modelling of the electronic structure of functional low-dimensional nanomaterials" (with Prof Nikhil Medhekar)
• "Ultrafast charge dynamics in photoactive materials"
• "Artificial-intelligence-controlled atom-by-atom synthesis of functional organic nanomaterials"

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For further details or alternative project arrangements, please contact: agustin.schiffrin@monash.edu

I specialise in the numerical modelling of high-energy particle collisions , such as those occurring at the Large Hadron Collider. Accordingly, most projects I offer straddle the intersection between theoretical and computational high-energy physics.

The research contributes to the world-leading PYTHIA Monte Carlo Event Generator, which serves as the baseline for the majority of experimental measurements in particle physics. Many of my projects are informed directly by current measurements, e.g. addressing new or unexpected features seen in the data. Others focus on improving the formal accuracy that can be achieved e.g. in perturbative calculations, typically then also with direct bearing on current or planned measurements.

Our team is part of several global collaborations, centred mainly in Europe. We also collaborate closely with researchers at CERN and at Fermilab, and with our LHCb colleagues through the Monash-Warwick Alliance in Particle Physics. Joint projects with an LHCb focus are possible (in coordination with Prof Ulrik Egede) or with other Monash supervisors on a case-by-case basis.

• "Confronting Theory and Experiment at the Large Hadron Collider"
• "Simulations of Quark and Gluon Jets"
• "Strings in Quantum Chromodynamics"
• "Topics in Heavy-Quark Physics" (with Prof Ulrik Egede)
• List of Past Projects I have supervised (3rd-year, honours, and PhD).

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For further details or alternative project arrangements, please contact: peter.skands@monash.edu.

I supervise a wide range of projects in gravitational-wave astronomy. This work is carried out within the Centre of Excellence for Gravitational-wave Discovery: OzGrav. As a member of my team, you will have the opportunity to interact with gravitational-wave researchers throughout Australia and around the world. Students in my group use data from the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) in order to understand the fate of massive stars, to probe how binary black holes form, and to understand the nature of matter at the most extreme possible densities. Occasionally, we incorporate other data as well, from gamma-ray burst satellites to optical surveys of flaring supermassive black holes.

• "Probing the population properties of merging binary black holes with gravitational waves"
• "Searching for physics beyond general relativity with gravitational-waves" (with Prof Paul Lasky)
• "Improving the sensitivity of gravitational-wave detectors" (with Prof Paul Lasky)
• "Detecting dark matter with the Cherenkov Telescope Array" (with Prof Csaba Balazs)

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For further details or alternative project arrangements, please contact the supervisor.

Contact: eric.thrane@monash.edu

I supervise projects in particle physics. My main emphasis is on phenomenology, comparison of predictions with experimental measurements. I follow developments in flavour physics: weak decays of mesons and baryons and their role as indirect probes for physics beyond the standard model. I also follow searches for new physics at the large hadron collider (LHC) and use them to constrain new particles and interactions.

• "Phenomenology of flavour anomalies in B physics"
• "CP violation in top-pair production and decay"
• "Extended Higgs sectors with coloured particles"
• "Exploration and Visualisation of high dimensional spaces"

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For further details or alternative project arrangements, please contact: german.valencia@monash.edu.