Research CV
Research and Education
Postdoctoral Fellow - University of Groningen
April 2021-April 2025
I worked as a postdoctoral researcher with an NWO Veni grant at the Kapteyn Astronomical Institute at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands.
This time includes an extended period of sick leave.
Postdoctoral Fellow - NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
July 2018-April 2021
I was a NASA Postdoctoral Program (NPP) Fellow working at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in the Astrochemical Laboratory (Division 691). After July 2020 I was contracted with the Catholic University of America to continue my NPP work at Goddard.
PhD Candidate - University of Groningen
January 2014-July 2018
I performed my PhD research under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Floris F. S. van der Tak at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands. My thesis title is “Organic chemistry around young high-mass stars: observational and theoretical” and can be downloaded here.
My PhD time includes 16 weeks of maternity leave and I completed my PhD within the alotted 4 years.
MPhys/BSc Physics with Astrophysics - University of Leeds
September 2009-December 2013
I attended the University of Leeds in the United Kingdom for my Bachelor and Masters studies. My Masters' thesis was supervised by Prof. Rene D. Oudmaijer and was titled “Accretion rates and CO disk analysis in massive young stellar objects”.
I was awarded the Scriven Bolton Award after my first year, and conducted research during summer 2011.
My master's defense was delayed due to maternity leave.
Research training
ALMA Ambassador - NRAO
March 2020
I was awarded a second opportunity to organize and run two ALMA workshops in the USA ($10000 prize). These were both moved online during the pandemic.
ALMA Ambassador - NRAO
March 2019
I was one of 15 postdocs trained to organize and run an ALMA proposal workshop in the USA. I ran the day long workshop with one other person at the University of Maryland. I instructed the participants on the information necessary for a successful proposal, how to use the observers' tool, and about basic interferometry.
Planetary Science Winter School Participant - NASA GSFC SSED
November 2019-March 2020
This school is a hands-on instrument design program at NASA Goddard to give scientists experience working with engineers in the creation of a real flight instrument to be proposed for a major NASA program. I shadowed a mechanical systems/structural engineer on the classified project.