Faculty

Professor Roger Deane
Director, SKA Chair in Radio Astronomy

Research interests:

galaxy evolution, strong gravitational lensing,

binary supermassive black holes, MeerKAT, VLBI

Publications

roger.deane [at] wits.ac.za

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

Publications

CV/Bio

Professor Andrew Chen
Personal Professor

Research interests:

Observational multiwavelength, multimessenger

and high-energy astrophysics

Publications

andrew.chen [at] wits.ac.za

Professor Matt Hilton
WITS-SARAO Professor

Research interests:

galaxy clusters, galaxy formation and evolution, observational cosmology

Publications

matt.hilton[at] wits.ac.za

Dr Geoff Beck
Senior Lecturer

Research interests:

Dark matter, philosophy of science, quantum foundations

Publications

geoff.beck [at] wits.ac.za

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.

Publications

nukri.komin [at] wits.ac.za

Dr Sphesihle Makhathini
Senior Lecturer

Research interests:

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

Publications

sphesihle.makhathini [at] wits.ac.za

Dr Nceba Mhlahlo
Lecturer

Research interests:

Extended radio emission, giant radio galaxies,

galaxy clusters

Publications

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.

nikhita.madhanpall [at] wits.ac.za

Publications

Administrative Staff

Farah-Naaz Moosa
Senior Administrative Assistant

Background:

BA Psychology and Marketing (Wits)

Psychology Honours (Wits)

NITheCS Gauteng Node

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

Publications

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

Publications

Dr Edwin Retana
SARAO Postdoctoral Fellow

edwinretana [at] gmail.com

Research interests:

radio interferometry, supermassive black holes,

radio galaxies and quasars

Publications

Dr Unnikrishnan Sureshkumar
SAAO-Rubin Observatory Postdoctoral Fellow

Research interests:

Galaxy clustering, large-scale structure,

environmental dependence of galaxy properties

Publications

Unnikrishnan.Sureshkumar [at] wits.ac.za

Visiting / Honorary Staff

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

Publications

Dr Paolo Marchegiani
Honorary Research Associate

paolo.marchegiani [at] wits.ac.za

Research interests:

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

diffuse radio emission associated with clusters, dark matter

Publications

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

Faculty

Professor Roger Deane Director, SKA Chair in Radio Astronomy

Distinguished Professor Athol Kemball Wits Carnegie Africa Diaspora Professor

Professor Andrew Chen Personal Professor

Professor Matt Hilton WITS-SARAO Professor

Dr Geoff Beck Senior Lecturer

Professor Nukri Komin Personal Professor

Dr Sphesihle Makhathini Senior Lecturer

Dr Nceba Mhlahlo Lecturer

Science Engagement and Outreach Officer

Dr Nikhita Madhanpall

Administrative Staff

Farah-Naaz Moosa Senior Administrative Assistant

Postdocs

Dr Sayan Basu SKA Chair Postdoctoral Fellow

Dr Kabelo Kesebonye SARAO Postdoctoral Fellow

Dr Edwin Retana SARAO Postdoctoral Fellow

Dr Unnikrishnan Sureshkumar SAAO-Rubin Observatory Postdoctoral Fellow

Visiting / Honorary Staff

Professor Andreas Faltenbacher Honorary Associate Professor

Dr Paolo Marchegiani Honorary Research Associate

Students

PhD

MSc

Professor Roger Deane
Director, SKA Chair in Radio Astronomy

Distinguished Professor Athol Kemball
Wits Carnegie Africa Diaspora Professor

Professor Andrew Chen
Personal Professor

Professor Matt Hilton
WITS-SARAO Professor

Dr Geoff Beck
Senior Lecturer

Professor Nukri Komin
Personal Professor

Dr Sphesihle Makhathini
Senior Lecturer

Dr Nceba Mhlahlo
Lecturer

Farah-Naaz Moosa
Senior Administrative Assistant

Dr Sayan Basu
SKA Chair Postdoctoral Fellow

Dr Kabelo Kesebonye
SARAO Postdoctoral Fellow

Dr Edwin Retana
SARAO Postdoctoral Fellow

Dr Unnikrishnan Sureshkumar
SAAO-Rubin Observatory Postdoctoral Fellow

Professor Andreas Faltenbacher
Honorary Associate Professor

Dr Paolo Marchegiani
Honorary Research Associate