Postgraduate Spotlight

10 Jan 2025

The School of Physics would like to highlight the work of Postgraduate Student Lee Whitaker. Lee is a Masters research student investigating the spin evolution and feedback mechanisms of supermassive black holes in the early Universe.

“Being part of such a supportive and fun research group has made my time at UCC genuinely rewarding. The chance to work on exciting science alongside great people has been a real highlight.”

Lees project focuses on implementing and testing a new post-processing model for black hole spin within the high-resolution cosmological simulation, Romulus. The spin of a black hole influences how it accretes matter and how it feeds energy back into its host galaxy–a process that can regulate star formation and impact the galaxy’s overall evolution. Her work contributes to a deeper understanding of the co-evolution between galaxies and their central black holes, particularly during the early stages of galaxy formation.

In September, Lee will begin her PhD, continuing this line of research by implementing her model self-consistently in a simulation. Her goal is to provide improved theoretical predictions to help interpret observational data from next-generation telescopes and gravitational wave detectors.

Alongside her research, Lee is a passionate advocate for equity and inclusion in science. She is actively involved in science communication and outreach, helping to run workshops, talks, and mentoring programmes that encourage and support young people–particularly girls, young women, and non-binary people–to explore physics and astronomy. Her outreach efforts are driven by a commitment to making STEM more accessible and inclusive.