.jpg)
I am a PhD candidate at Brown University, where I am advised by Stephon Alexander. I obtained my bachelor's degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 2020. Broadly speaking, I am interested in general relativity, modified theories of gravity, gravitational waves, early universe cosmology, quantum gravity, and machine learning. Much of my current research revolves around probing corrections to general relativity using either gravitational waves or astrophysical objects such as neutron stars. I am also currently working on a project investigating a model of spontaneous baryogenesis in the early universe.
As an undergraduate, my astrophysics research in Germany, Japan and at MIT involved a good deal of machine learning. In the summer of 2021, I was a research intern at Microsoft working with Jaron Lanier, one of the pioneers of virtual reality, to investigate how our universe could learn its own physical laws -- a project at the intersection of theoretical physics, mathematics, and machine learning. Since starting my graduate career at Brown, I have continued to utilize the experience I gained as an undergraduate, while developing new skills and interests in theoretical physics and cosmology.
Outside of physics, I am a percussionist, world traveler and distance runner. I have been to 65 countries across six continents, and I can speak 11 different languages. Additionally, I write music for and conduct my own orchestra, which is a global initiative by Ivy League musicians in the United States to bring the world together through music. You can learn more about the Tatsuya Daniel (TD) Orchestra here.