CV

Curriculum vitae.

Contact Information

Name Vasily Belokurov
Professional Title Professor of Astronomy
Email vasily at ast.cam.ac.uk
Location Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge, Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 0HA
Website https://people.ast.cam.ac.uk/~vasily/

Professional Summary

Professor of Astronomy at the Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge. I use large astronomical surveys to study how galaxies form and evolve, to discover new and unusual phenomena, and to reconstruct the history of the Milky Way through Galactic Archaeology.

Experience

  • 2019 - present

    Cambridge, UK

    Professor of Astronomy
    Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge
  • 2021 - 2022

    New York, US

    Visiting Scholar
    Center for Computational Astrophysics, Flatiron Institute
  • 2017 - 2018

    New York, US

    Visiting Scholar
    Center for Computational Astrophysics, Flatiron Institute
  • 2014 - 2018

    Cambridge, UK

    Reader in Astrophysics
    Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge
  • 2011 - 2014

    Cambridge, UK

    University Lecturer
    Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge
  • 2008 - 2013

    Cambridge, UK

    Royal Society University Research Fellow
    Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge
  • 2006 - 2008

    Cambridge, UK

    STFC Postdoctoral Fellow
    Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge
  • 2003 - 2006

    Cambridge, UK

    Research Associate
    Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge

Education

  • 2004

    Oxford, UK

    PhD
    University of Oxford
    Theoretical Physics
  • 1999

    Moscow, Russia

    Bachelor + Master combined degree, with distinction
    Sternberg Astronomical Institute, Moscow State University
    Astronomy

Honors and Awards

  • 2021
    EU Horizon 2020 "GaiaUnlimited"
    European Union

    Co-Investigator, 2021-2024.

  • 2021
    Leverhulme Research Grant "The Faint Universe Made Visible with Machine Learning"
    Leverhulme Trust

    Principal Investigator.

  • 2015
    Aaronson Prize
    University of Arizona Department of Astronomy and Steward Observatory

    Awarded for excellence in astronomical research and a body of work in observational astronomy that significantly deepens understanding of the Universe.

  • 2013
    EU ERC Starting Grant "Streams"
    European Research Council

    Principal Investigator, 2013-2018.

  • 2011
    RAS Fowler Prize in Astrophysics
    Royal Astronomical Society

    Awarded for a particularly noteworthy contribution to astrophysics at an early career stage.

  • 2008
    Royal Society University Research Fellowship
    Royal Society

    2008-2013.

  • 2006
    STFC Grant "Scrutinizing the Galaxy with SEGUE and RAVE"
    Science and Technology Facilities Council

    Principal Investigator, 2006-2008.

Supervision

  • 2006-2025: supervised more than 30 PhD students and around 20 postdoctoral research associates at the Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge.

Teaching

  • 2018-2024: Life and Death of Galaxies, 24-lecture MASt/Part III Natural Sciences course, University of Cambridge.
  • 2012-2017, 2025: Stellar Dynamics and Structure of Galaxies, 24-lecture Part II Natural Sciences course, University of Cambridge.
  • 2023-present: Galactic Archaeology for Near-Field Cosmology, 18-lecture course for the Data Intensive Science MPhil, University of Cambridge.

Organisation of Scientific Meetings

  • 2010: Darkness Visible, international conference, more than 100 participants, Cambridge, UK.
  • 2012: UK-Germany National Astronomy Meeting, international conference, more than 100 participants, Manchester, UK.
  • 2013: UK-Russia Frontiers of Science, international conference, fewer than 100 participants, Kazan, Russia.
  • 2013: LSST@Europe. The Path to Science, international conference, about 100 participants, Cambridge, UK.
  • 2015: Satellites and Streams, international conference, more than 100 participants, Santiago, Chile.
  • 2017: LSST variability studies, regional workshop, about 20 participants, Hull, UK.
  • 2018: The metal-poor Galaxy, international conference, more than 100 participants, Ringberg, Germany.
  • 2018: Planning for Surprises - Data Driven Discovery in the era of Large Data, Wetton Workshop, fewer than 100 participants, Oxford, UK.
  • 2018: The life and time of the Milky Way, international conference, more than 100 participants, Shanghai, China.
  • 2023: Revealed by Gaia: the central halo of the Milky Way, international workshop, about 50 participants, Cambridge, UK.

Selected Invited Talks

  • 2021-2024: Remote and in-person invited talks in Germany, Israel, France, Australia, the US, and the UK.
  • 2020-2021: Remote invited talks in Germany, Israel, China, and Canada.
  • 2019: Invited talks at conferences in Shanghai, Ljubljana, and Durham; colloquia in Edinburgh, Nijmegen, Munich, and Gottingen.
  • 2018: Colloquia at Columbia University, Rutgers University, Princeton University, and Stanford University, US.
  • 2017: Invited talk at Paris Observatory, France.
  • 2016: Colloquium at UCL, UK.
  • 2015: Satellites and Streams, Santiago, Chile.
  • 2014: Invited talks at MSSL and the University of Belfast, UK.
  • 2013: IAU Symposium, Lijiang, China.
  • 2012: High Energy Astrophysics, Moscow, Russia.
  • 2011: UK National Astronomy Meeting, Llandudno, Wales.
  • 2010: Joint Astronomy Colloquium, Munich, Germany.
  • 2009: Dynamics from the Galactic Center to the Milky Way Halo, Harvard, US.
  • 2008: Dark Matter on Small Scales, Paris, France.
  • 2007: Galaxies in the Local Volume, Sydney, Australia.
  • 2006: Local Galaxies, Oxford, UK.
  • 2005: Simulations to Surveys, Ringberg, Germany.

Institutional Responsibilities

  • 2018-present: MASt/Part III Coordinator, Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge.
  • 2006-2018: Graduate Student Advisor, Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge.
  • 2008-present: Staff Committee, Computer User Committee, and Teaching Committee, Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge.
  • 2011-2017: Director of Graduate Education, Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge.
  • 2012-2017: Member, Physical Sciences Faculty Graduate Education Committee, University of Cambridge.
  • 2007-2011: Organizer of the Institute Colloquium, Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge.

Reviewing Activities

  • 2003-present: Reviewer for Nature, Astrophysical Journal, Astrophysical Journal Letters, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, and Astronomy & Astrophysics.
  • 2003-present: Referee for Time Allocation Committees at Subaru, WHT, CFHT, INT, and HST.
  • 2009-2010: Review panel member, European Wide Field Spectroscopy Working Group.

Major Collaborations

  • Member of SDSS, LSST, LSST UK, WEAVE, DES, DESI, 4MOST, and Euclid.

Publications

  • All publications on NASA ADS

    Authored about 300 refereed publications, with about 40,000 citations and h-index above 90. With Gaia alone, published more than 100 refereed papers using Gaia DR1, DR2, or DR3 data. The complete publication list is available on NASA ADS.

Media

  • 2020-2022: Two TV programs featuring work by the group, including a BBC Universe episode and a BBC/Discovery Channel program.
  • 2018: Discovery of the Gaia Sausage; shared press release between Cambridge, Durham, Surrey, and CMU; radio interview and international media coverage.
  • 2017: Discovery of a stellar bridge between the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds; Cambridge University press release, international media coverage, and BBC Sky at Night interview.
  • 2016: Detection of stellar stream perturbations likely caused by interaction with a dark matter sub-halo; Cambridge University press release, media coverage, and regional TV interview.
  • 2016: Discovery of the Crater 2 dwarf galaxy; media coverage, regional radio, and TV interview.
  • 2015: Discovery of a large number of dwarf galaxies around the Magellanic Clouds; Cambridge University press release and international media coverage.
  • 2011: Discovery of multiple tails from the Sagittarius dwarf galaxy; Cambridge University press release and international media coverage.
  • 2006-2007: Field of Streams; SDSS press release and international media coverage.
  • 2006-2007: Discovery of new dwarf satellites of the Milky Way; SDSS press release and international media coverage, including New Scientist and Nature.