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Faculty

Professor Roger Deane
Director, SKA Chair in Radio Astronomy

Research interests:

galaxy evolution, strong gravitational lensing, 

binary supermassive black holes, MeerKAT, VLBI

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roger.deane [at] wits.ac.za

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Distinguished Professor Athol Kemball
Wits Carnegie Africa Diaspora Professor

akemball [at] illinois.edu

Research interests:

radio interferometry; strong gravitational lensing; astrophysical masers; late-type, evolved stars

Professor Andrew Chen
Personal Professor

Research interests:

Observational multiwavelength, multimessenger

and high-energy astrophysics

CV

andrew.chen [at] wits.ac.za

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Professor Matt Hilton
WITS-SARAO Professor

Research interests:

galaxy clusters, galaxy formation and evolution, observational cosmology

CV

matt.hilton[at] wits.ac.za

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Dr Geoff Beck
Senior Lecturer

Research interests:

Dark matter, philosophy of science, quantum foundations

CV

geoff.beck [at] wits.ac.za

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Professor Nukri Komin
Personal Professor

Research interests:

Gamma-ray astronomy and high-energy astrophysics. 

Galactic sources and remnants of stellar explosions: supernova remnants, pulsar wind nebulae, gamma-ray binaries.

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nukri.komin [at] wits.ac.za

Dr Sphesihle Makhathini
Senior Lecturer

Research interests:

Radio Astronomy Instrumentation, Software/Algorithm development for astronomy, extragalactic radio sources.

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CV

sphesihle.makhathini [at] wits.ac.za

Dr Nceba Mhlahlo
Lecturer

Research interests:

Extended radio emission, giant radio galaxies,

galaxy clusters

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CV

nceba.mhlahlo [at] wits.ac.za

Science Engagement and Outreach Officer

Dr Nikhita Madhanpall
 

Responsible for developing a science engagement and communications strategy for the Wits Centre for Astrophysics, stakeholder and partnership assessment, development of plans for the Wits CfA - Wits Anglo American Digital Dome (WAADD) partnership, education and public engagement initiatives, outreach planning, and collaboration with other national and international bodies.

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nikhita.madhanpall [at] wits.ac.za

Administrative Staff

Farah-Naaz Moosa 
Senior Administrative Assistant

Background:

 BA Psychology and Marketing (Wits)

Psychology Honours (Wits)

NITheCS Gauteng Node

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farah-naaz.moosa [at] wits.ac.za

Postdocs

Dr Sayan Basu
SKA Chair Postdoctoral Fellow

Research interests:

Very Long Baseline Interferometry surveys, geodesy, 

binary supermassive black holes

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CV

sayan.basu [at] wits.ac.za

Dr Kabelo Kesebonye
SARAO Postdoctoral Fellow

kabelo.kesebonye [at] wits.ac.za

Research interests:

galaxy evolution, galaxy clusters, star formation

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Dr Kabelo Kesebonye
SKA Chair Postdoctoral Fellow

brenda.namumba [at] wits.ac.za

Research interests:

neutral hydrogen, dark matter, galaxy evolution

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Dr Unnikrishnan Sureshkumar
SAAO-Rubin Observatory Postdoctoral Fellow

Research interests:

Galaxy clustering, large-scale structure,

environmental dependence of galaxy properties

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Unnikrishnan.Sureshkumar [at] wits.ac.za

Visiting / Honorary Staff

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Professor Andreas Faltenbacher
Honorary Associate Professor

andreas.faltenbacher [at] wits.ac.za

Research interests:

Machine Learning, cosmological simulations, dark matter, large scale structure, evolution of galaxy clusters

Dr Paolo Marchegiani
Honorary Research Associate

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paolo.marchegiani [at] wits.ac.za

Research interests:

galaxy cluster physics, the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect,

diffuse radio emission associated with clusters, dark matter

Students

PhD

Xola Ndaliso

William Rasakanya

Graham Lawrie

Mika Naidoo

Jacques Smulders

Karina Santana

Isaac Magolego

Galefang Mapunda

Lalenthra Fisher

Dakalo Phuravhathu

Damien Ragavan

Shilpa Ranchod (visiting from MPIfR)

​Shibre Semane

MSc

Senkhosi Simelane

Coral Pillay

Bhuti Nkosi
Noko Monyebodi
Rowan Batzofin
Melukuhle Mtombeni
Mpho Kgoadi
Ralekete Temo
Natasha Lavis
Raees Noorbhai
Paul Stansell

Javeria Makda

Tristan Wilkinson

Jude Nnaji

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