Themiya Nanayakkara

I'm a Senior Lecturer in the School of Physics at the University of Sydney. I also continue to contribute my time as a senior researcher with the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) Australian Data Centre, where my role is to help Australian astronomers make the best use of JWST, providing training and developing new techniques that make it easier for our scientific community to analyse JWST data effectively.

My research focuses on how the earliest stars and galaxies transformed the early Universe, from a chemically simple place into one rich with the elements needed for planets and life. I combine deep observations from JWST with theoretical models to explore this remarkable period of cosmic history. I'm experienced in both ground-based and space-based observational astronomy, as well as in modelling how stars evolve over time, and I actively use machine learning and data science to advance astrophysics research.

I'm also passionate about capacity building in astronomy. I design and lead international training programs that give researchers in Africa, South Asia and Southeast Asia hands-on experience with frontier space-telescope data, and I mentor students from under-resourced research environments in finding PhD pathways at leading institutions overseas.