Akash means “space” or “sky”, while my full name, Akash Vani, roughly translates to “a message from heaven”. If you are from the Indian subcontinent, the name may already sound familiar, it shares its name with India’s radio broadcasting service and even a Hindi film. If not, now you know!

I am currently a doctoral researcher at the Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics (MPA) in Garching and part of the International Max Planck Research School on Astrophysics at Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich. Within the Computational Astrophysics department, I work with Volker Springel and Guinevere Kauffmann on modelling galaxy formation and evolution across cosmic epochs. My research focuses on developing and testing physically motivated computational models using large-scale simulations, statistical inference, scientific computing, and machine learning.

Before moving to Munich, I studied physics at the University of Heidelberg, where my research focused on stellar populations and white dwarfs in the solar neighbourhood. I worked on a chemodynamic Milky Way model and extended it to include white-dwarf population synthesis and also contributed to the development of a detailed local stellar catalogue, with Andreas Just.

I grew up in Mapusa, Goa, India, where I also learned watchmaking from my father, working with both quartz and automatic watches. Later, I moved to Pune, where I completed my bachelor’s degree in physics, with mathematics and electronic sciences, at Savitribai Phule Pune University.

When I am not coding, running simulations, or evolving galaxies, I enjoy museums, long walks and hikes, travelling, and analogue and digital photography.