Katie Sharpe

I’m a graduate student currently studying resolved stellar populations in isolated dwarf galaxies (in other words: multiple stars which we can individually resolve, in small galaxies that are far away from massive galaxies). My research probes questions of galaxy formation and evolution, and in particular the effect of environment on the processes that have shaped galaxies in the present day. I’m excited to be working with some of the first JWST NIRSpec MSA spectroscopy of resolved stars to help pave the way for future studies! When I’m not doing research, I enjoy reading, hiking, and playing board games with friends.

Jaewon Kim

I am a PhD student at UC Berkeley, studying theoretical condensed matter physics. My research focuses on two main areas. The first area is in strongly correlated materials such as high-temperature superconducting cuprates, where I investigate puzzling transport phenomena beyond the conventional Landau paradigm of quasiparticles. The second area is many-body quantum chaos, where I study how quantum information scrambles in many-body systems, leading to quantum thermalization. In my spare time, I enjoy windsurfing and rock climbing.

Thilo Scharnhorst

I am a theorist exploring fundamental open questions in physics through the lens of quantum information and quantum computing. After studying physics, math, and computer science during my undergraduate years in Bonn, I pursued a master’s in mathematical and theoretical physics at the University of Oxford. I am now a physics PhD student at Berkeley, focusing on the implications of quantum information theory for fundamental physics. For instance, quantum error-correcting codes, which are essential for correcting noise in quantum computers, provide new insights and perspectives for quantum gravity (e.g., holographic codes) as well as condensed matter theory (e.g., self-correcting quantum memories). I am also very passionate about communicating physics and simplifying complex concepts into concise, intuitive explanations. I enjoy playing ball sports, and since moving to California, I have really gotten into backpacking and various other adventures in nature.

Nathaniel Leslie

My name is Nathaniel Leslie. I am a graduate student working with Professor Liang Dai on gravitational wave data analysis. I am currently interested in multi-messenger astronomy of double white dwarf systems with mHz gravitational waves and optical band light. Gravitational waves in this frequency band are not currently detectable, but they will be detectable in the mid-2030s using a triangular array of spacecraft that will orbit the sun behind the Earth called LISA. Using LISA and existing and future optical telescopes, we can learn information about these systems that we cannot measure with either data set alone, like the effect of tides on the orbital evolution. I am also very passionate about teaching. I have been teaching and developing Physics 188/288: Bayesian Data Analysis and Machine Learning for Physical Sciences and I hope to bring a course like it where I end up teaching in the future. In my free time, I enjoy playing double bass and electric bass, and playing board games and video games with my friends.

Winston Yin

Born and raised in Hong Kong, I’m a PhD student in theoretical cosmology studying statistical methods to search for axion cosmic strings using light from the distant universe. I’ve also been a key developer of the scientific critical thinking course, Sense and Sensibility and Science, which is now being taught in universities and high schools around the world. As a classically trained musician, I play the piano and the clarinet. As a tenor, I have sung in operas and am a member of the San Francisco Symphony Chorus. In my spare time, I contribute to mathlib, a library of computer formalised mathematical proofs, and write Wikipedia articles in English and Chinese. Outside of nerdy pursuits, I enjoy travelling and hiking in nature. I’m excited to meet and learn from people from different disciplines and different countries.

Umaima Afifa

I am a PhD student at UC Berkeley in Physics, focusing on the intersection of physics, biology, artificial intelligence, and engineering. I seek to develop research methods to investigate and explain biological phenomena utilizing optical physics and mathematical models.  I design and implement high speed fluorescence microscopes to image a vast array of biological specimens ranging from neurons in mice brain to microbe interactions in plant root. By leveraging cutting-edge techniques such as adaptive optics, second and third harmonic generation, homodyne mixing and more, I aim to develop novel imaging tools and methodologies that can be broadly applied across various areas of biomedical research.

Scott Eustice

Scott grew up in Rockville, MD, and received a BA in physics from UChicago. After completing a MSc in Munich, Germany he came to Berkeley in 2019 to join the physics PhD program. At Berkeley, Scott is working on laser cooling of neutral titanium atoms, achieving the first ultracold gas of these atoms in 2023. With properties unlike other elements that are commonly used in ultracold atomic physics research, titanium opens up new possibilities in quantum simulation, metrology, and precision measurement. Additionally, Scott and his collaborators have identified twelve other elements that can be studied with similar techniques as titanium, each of which may present opportunities for new directions in atomic physics research. In his free time, Scott enjoys baking, reading, watching movies with friends, and traveling.

Stephen Gant

My work focuses on the use of condensed matter theory to calculate the properties of materials from first principles. Specifically, my work uses a combination density functional theory (DFT) and many body perturbation theory (MBPT) to calculate ground and excited state properties such as lattice and atomic structures, electron density, band structures, and optical absorption spectra of molecules and crystals at zero and finite temperature.

Hussain Kadhem

Hussain is a Ph.D. student in applied mathematics at UC Berkeley, where he works in computational quantum physics. He previously worked as a software developer in the compilers group at IBM, and has broad interests in high-performance computing, computational science, and computer algebra. He grew up in Toronto, where he completed his
bachelor’s degree. After that, he attended the University of Cambridge for a year to do Part III of the Mathematical Tripos. He is blind from birth and is usually accompanied by his guide dog.

Isaac Harris

Born and raised in the suburbs of Chicago, Isaac received his undergraduate degrees in Math and Physics from the University of Chicago. Now, he is a 5th year physics PhD student at the University of California, Berkeley working with Ramamoorthy Ramesh as his advisor. Collaborating with members from both the Ramesh and Lane Martin groups, he has gained experience working with thin film oxides grown by Pulsed Laser Deposition, especially ferroelectric, magnetic, and magnetoelectric materials. His own research studies the Spin Hall effect in model oxide systems, as well as magnon propagation in the novel Bismuth Ferrite system. In his free time, Isaac can be found cooking for friends, playing music, and training for triathlons in the beautiful ramparts of Berkeley.