I am a first year PhD researcher working on the Gravitational-Wave Optical Transient Observer (GOTO),Link opens in a new window in the Astronomy and Astrophysics group at the University of Warwick. My supervisors are Krzysztof Ulaczyk and Danny Steegsh.

Prior to coming to the University of Warwick, I worked as a Research Scientist on the Zwicky Transit FacilityLink opens in a new window (ZTF) time-domain survey at the University of Washington (UW), in the beautiful US Pacific Northwest. During my time at UW I helped develop and maintain the UW-ZTF alert distribution system, a Kafka based alert system that delivers millions of transient alerts per night to enable downstream science for collaborators across the globe. I also conducted follow-up observational programs in support of the ZTF Bright Transient Survey.Link opens in a new window

In tandem to this role I also worked for the National Optical and Infrared LaboratoryLink opens in a new window (NOIRLab) where I was based at Gemini North ObservatoryLink opens in a new window, Hawaiʻi, USA. NOIRLab is one of the many scientific collaborations that I have cultivated, others include the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope Link opens in a new window(LSST), and the development of the Maunakea Spectroscopic ExplorerLink opens in a new window (MSE).

Research Interests

• General time domain astrophysics: High energy astrophysical transients, exoplanets, non-periodic transients (Dippers!), late time evolution of supernovae, white dwarf planetary remnants.. basically anything that goes bump in the night.
• Machine learning classification of transients.
• Image processing and pipeline development for large scale surveys.
• Rapid large scale spectroscopic follow up of survey transients.
• Multi messenger transient detection and follow up.

Publications (co-authored)

• Graham, M. L. et al. 2024.

  Deep drilling in the time domain with DECam II: characterizing the light curves of candidates in the extragalactic fieldsLink opens in a new window

  Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, (Accepted for Publication, Nov 2024)
• Graham, M. L. et al. 2022. Deep drilling in the time domain with DECam: survey characterization Link opens in a new window
  Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Volume 519, Issue 3, March 2023, Pages 3881–3902
• Graham, M.L. et al. 2022. Supernova siblings and their parent galaxies in the Zwicky Transient Facility Bright Transient Survey Link opens in a new window
  Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Volume 511, Issue 1, March 2022, Pages 241–254

Outreach

• Taught undergraduate astronomy, University of Hawaii at HiloLink opens in a new window.
• Planetarium Manager at the ‘Imiloa Astronomy Center of Hawai’iLink opens in a new window. Worldʻs first 3D stereoscopic planetarium.
• Science consultant and producer for various fulldome films for planetaria including the Awesome Light series (a focus on the observatories of Maunakea), and National Geographicʻs Wildest Weather in the Solar System, and many more.
• Studied under native Hawaiian cultural practitioners and educators to deliver astronomy education and outreach programs in both English and Ōlelo Hawaii (Hawaiian language), for underserved communities on Hawaiʻi island, with a focus on Polynesian wayfindingLink opens in a new window and celestial navigation.
• Coordinated the Hawai’i Island ʻJourney through the UniverseLink opens in a new windowʻ program, 2023.
  Journey through the Universe is an island wide astronomy outreach program linking members of the astronomy community with local schools. Journey 2023 successfully delivered astronomy education programs to over 3500 students.
• Author and co-host of Hawaii’s longest running astronomy radio segment, StargazerLink opens in a new window on Hawaii Public Radio (2013-2023).
• Active member of the Maunakea Astronomy Outreach CommitteeLink opens in a new window (MKAOC).
• Author of the monthly Kaʻu Night Skies column for the Kʻau Calendar NewspaperLink opens in a new window. Kaʻu District, Hawaiʻi Island.

Awards and Scholarships

• Warwick Astrophysics PhD Prize Scholar (2024/25 entry), University of Warwick