(Astrophysics BSc, 2018; Astrophysics MSc, 2019)
In my role I combine my passion for physics and technology to solve real world problems for our clients. We make use of state-of-the-art algorithms and processing techniques to form high resolution images of the subsurface of the Earth.
What attracted you to study BSc Astrophysics and then MSc Astrophysics at Queen Mary?
I’ll take this back to the very root to start with. My interest in Physics, and particularly Astrophysics, was brought about by exceptionally passionate and encouraging science teachers in secondary school. This interest was nurtured and grew in the classroom to become a real passion and hunger to understand how the natural world around us works, be that on small quantum scales to the unimaginably large expanses of the universe.
In Sixth Form, having made the choice to pursue a degree in Astrophysics, I began looking for universities. I was set on attending a campus university because I liked the idea of the community feel and atmosphere that I had heard about through visiting various campuses on their open days. Queen Mary was one of many universities that I had visited, and having had the opportunity to meet the staff at The School of Physics and Astronomy, I knew for certain that this was an institution I’d get on well in. I liked how approachable and friendly the academics were. Hearing the passion and zeal from lecturers at Queen Mary on their subjects and research areas certainly attracted me to apply here. Their enthusiasm was infectious!
I studied at Queen Mary for a total of 4 years. Three of those were for a BSc in Astrophysics, and the fourth year was for a separate MSc. I had a fantastic experience studying here for my undergrad so it was a no-brainer when deciding to continue for the fourth year. Also, Queen Mary has an alumni reward scheme which meant that my tuition fees for the masters were reduced having completed my bachelors at the university.
How did your postgraduate degree differentiate from and allow you to expand on the knowledge gained through your undergraduate degree?
The postgraduate degree built on top of the solid foundations of my Queen Mary undergraduate degree. I was able to expand on my knowledge of Spacetime and Gravity (Prof. D. Berman) by taking on the masters level course called Relativity and Gravitation (Dr. T. Clifton). This course is one I remember fondly as it delved into the mind-boggling physics of space-time around black holes, gravitational waves, and perturbation theory.
It was also another opportunity to undertake more research, at an even higher level than before. I was supervised by Dr Phil Bull on a project titled “Recovering Transverse Baryon Acoustic Oscillations from Single Dish Intensity Experiments”. This relied on skills developed during my undergrad, making use of Python to analyse how we could theoretically recover the Baryon Acoustic Oscillation from observations.
In my role, it is fascinating to see how seismic data progresses from an initially noisy and uninterpretable dataset to stunning high quality images which can reveal features like ice age scour marks, complex faulting, and salt geologies.
What did you enjoy most about studying Astrophysics and your time Queen Mary?
The lecturers. The School of Physics and Astronomy at Queen Mary have the most amazing, approachable, and friendly staff. It’s these people that made my time at university so unbelievably enjoyable and enriching.
I was fortunate enough to have been lectured by Professor Richard Nelson during my first year for the “Our Universe” module. His passion and excitement for the subject made that class a great one. In later years, he was my BSc project supervisor which was on “Analysing Exoplanetary Transits using Python”. This project gave me a huge insight into how to properly conduct academic research and was the most enjoyable part of my BSc degree, by far. Python is now something I use often in my current job!
Another is Professor David Berman. He taught me the Spacetime and Gravity course in my third year. The concepts in this course were sometimes quite abstract and hard to grasp, but he made a huge effort to make sure we understood what was going on. I remember a quick “experiment” he did in class where he jumped from a table at the same time as dropping a ball so that we could see that gravity acted the same on both himself and the ball!
Can you describe how you secured your current role as Geophysicist at CGG and give us an insight into this role and how it allows you to explore your passions?
Once I had completed my masters, I knew that I wanted to continue in a field where I could use the skills that I had developed and gained during my 4 years at university. The most important thing to do when you’re looking for professional roles is to research the roles and companies you are applying for!
I mostly used Gradcracker, LinkedIn and Google to search for roles that were scientific at the core and would rely on using skills like problem solving, numerical modelling and coding to name a few.
In my effort to secure the role I currently have at CGG, I attended a NewtonGrad careers and recruitment fair. Here, I was able to speak to some of CGG’s technical staff. This was an important step in the application process as I could ask about the work environment within the company, what the role involves, and what my potential future colleagues were like from employees already working there.Following on from a successful application process, which involved an initial online written application, a timed video interview and finally an assessment day, I was offered the role of Geophysicist at CGG. In this role, I combine my passion for physics and technology to solve real world problems for our clients. We make use of state-of-the-art algorithms and processing techniques to form high resolution images of the subsurface of the Earth. It’s genuinely fascinating to see from start to finish how seismic data progresses from an initially noisy and uninterpretable dataset to stunning high quality images which can reveal features like ice age scour marks, complex faulting, and salt geologies.
How have both of your degrees helped you in your career so far and which aspects of your degrees are relevant to your current role?
From applying to graduate roles and then successfully landing a job, I’ve found that the exact discipline of your degree can be secondary to the skills that you have as a person and as a thinker. My role as a Geophysicist is perhaps one that wouldn’t usually be associated with an Astrophysics graduate. There is one key foundation that connects the two, Physics, a universal constant (or so we think…).
In doing both a BSc and MSc in Astrophysics, it’s really taught me how to go about learning. That is, taking new concepts like those I now find in Geophysics, breaking them down into the fundamentals and drawing on my general physics knowledge, researching and reading up where needed to understand and learn about something new.
Additionally, 4 years in University has given me insight into how to go about reading and writing academic literature. This is extremely important in what we do since our work is often published in academic papers, so being able to read these papers and write reports on project work is a very important skill in this role.
Another key skill which I regularly make use of is coding. Having learnt the fundamentals of Python at university during my research projects has been hugely beneficial and allowed me to tackle some otherwise insurmountable problems neatly and quickly using scripts developed on the fly.
In terms of the trajectory of your career, where would you like to be in five years’ time?
The Energy Industry is currently undergoing a transition away from fossil-based fuels to zero-carbon renewable energy. I believe that this is an exciting time for CGG and my career trajectory. I hope that in the very near future, and in the years to come, that I’ll be working on projects that focus on the goals of the energy transition. One such example that springs to mind is the recent agreement between CGG and dCarbonX on the exploration of the subsurface for decarbonisation. I would love to see many more projects like this where the technology that I work with day to day can be applied in this context to identify and de-risk subsurface storage.
The Energy Industry is currently undergoing a transition away from fossil-based fuels to zero-carbon renewable energy. This is an exciting time for CGG and my career trajectory. I hope to work on projects that focus on the goals of the energy transition.
Based on your studies at Queen Mary, what advice would you give to a prospective student considering studying Astrophysics at Queen Mary?
University is a time to really enjoy your independence. You can be your own person and do your own thing. It’s certainly an opportunity that you should try to make the most of. There are and will be so many new things to experience like getting involved with societies and sports teams.
I think most importantly, before you apply to any University, it is important to do your research. Try to, if you can, attend a Queen Mary open day. It’s the best way to get a feel for what the campus is like. It’ll also be a chance for you to speak to current students and staff to find out about the University. It’s also a chance to ask all those burning questions about the course that you might not be able to find answers to online.
Outside of work, what do you do to unwind? Is there anything people find surprising about you?
I recently built a new gaming pc. I love it! It’s got way too many RGB lights, and I probably went over the top on the specs too. I’ve really enjoyed playing the latest new releases, and it’s been a great way to connect with people during the pandemic.
I’ve been living in London again for around a year now. It’s been great to be here since there is always lots to do once the working day is done. I’m a big fan of live stand-up comedy, pints on the Southbank and food at borough market.
As we are entering more normal times, I’ve been able to continue my tour of Norway. I’m fortunate enough to have been there 5 times, spending around 6 months there in total across all the trips. It’s my favourite country. The nature is so serenely beautiful and it’s the perfect destination to really unwind and relax if you like walking and hiking around mountains. I have some amazing friends who live there that I love to visit, and I have been able to do that recently again for the first time in almost 2 years!
Finally, what is one thing you’d like to see change in the world?
I’d like to see a world in which ideas can freely be discussed between people so that we can overcome divisions in order to reach common ground instead of entrenched polarisation.
If you would like to get in touch with Bradley or engage them in your work, please contact the Alumni Engagement team at alumni@qmul.ac.uk.