Maria Lugaro

Postdoctoral Researcher
Institute of Astronomy
University of Cambridge, UK

PhD in mathematical sciences

"It is a very creative kind of work, there are always new things to learn and there is also lots of interaction with other colleagues."

I did my undergraduate studies in Physics in Italy (graduation year 1996) and then moved to Monash for my PhD in Applied Mathematics, specifically in the field of Theoretical Astrophysics. I received the PhD in October 2001. At the moment I am working as a post-doctoral researcher at the Institute of Astronomy in Cambridge.

My work is practically a continuation of the study I did during my PhD, so my PhD studies have been extremely important for my present and future career. During my time at Monash I enjoyed lots interacting with my supervisor and meeting all the other students.

In my field it is the common path for who wants to try the academic career to have a few, usually two or even three, short-term post-doctoral contracts before starting to apply for a permanent position. These contracts typically last for about two or three years.

Each job is usually at a different institution often in a different country, which means that for some years life involves moving to new places around the world. This part of my job I really enjoy, as I like to experience life in a new place.

My work mainly involves running numerical simulations of stars including all the nuclear reaction that occur during the life of the star. My results are then compared to various observational constraints, such the observed chemical composition of stars. What I like most about it is that it is a very creative kind of work, there are always new things to learn and there is also lots of interaction with other colleagues. The work is interesting and challenging most of the time.

Because I do not really have a `boss' I have to decide what project is best to pursue. On the other hand because research involves searching for new ideas it is part of the game to deal with projects that seemed good but then turned out to be a waste of time. Also in these cases there is something new to learn.