Catalogue of Possibilities / Supervisors

Dr Christopher Messenger he/him

Artificial Intelligence for gravitational wave discovery

Senior Lecturer

School of Physics and Astronomy

Research interests:

Gravitational-wave, Astrophysics, Machine-learning, Artificial-Intelligence, Bayesian-inference, Quantum-computing

Research fields:

Computer-science, Mathematics, Statistics, Quantum-computing

Mission Priority Areas

Why do you want to join the DiveIn community?

As a prospective PhD supervisor, I’m enthusiastic about joining the DiveIn CDT community because it represents a refreshing and much-needed shift in how research training is approached. Rather than focusing narrowly on predefined scientific themes, DiveIn places emphasis on the people who make research possible—valuing difference in experience, outlook, and discipline. This aligns with my own belief that genuine innovation often emerges at the intersections of diverse ways of thinking. I’m particularly motivated by DiveIn’s commitment to building an inclusive and supportive culture for both students and supervisors, and by its effort to actively remove structural and cultural barriers to participation. The community’s openness to rethinking conventional academic norms and fostering collaboration across fields is exactly the kind of environment in which I believe the next generation of researchers—and research leaders—will thrive.

Personal profile:

I am a researcher at the University of Glasgow with a passion for developing new data analysis tools to better understand the universe through gravitational waves. My work focuses on extracting information from complex signals, and I’ve led the introduction of machine learning into gravitational wave astrophysics. I’m based in the Institute for Gravitational Research, which develops both instrumentation and analysis methods, contributing to international collaborations such as LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA and the future space-based mission LISA.

My research is inherently interdisciplinary. I’ve worked with colleagues in computer science, geophysics, and quantum computing, and I’m keen to build new collaborations—particularly with researchers in mathematics and computer science—to further enhance machine learning methods in our field. I’m also open to challenge-led partnerships where our skills in signal detection and inference can be applied more broadly.

I prefer to supervise projects that explore new approaches, particularly those that improve analysis speed or accuracy. This focus has led me to explore emerging technologies, including quantum computing, for use in astrophysics. My supervision style is relaxed and supportive—I encourage students to take intellectual risks, learn from failure, and build confidence in challenging established ideas. I’m happiest when a student can show me why I was wrong. Of my five PhD graduates, four have continued in academia and one is now a consultant in the U.S.

Equity, diversity, and inclusion are central to my work. I’m currently co-supervising a James McCune Smith PhD student and remain committed to creating a supportive and inclusive research environment.

Outside of research, I’m the proud dad of an energetic two-year-old boy who ensures life beyond work is never dull.

https://www.gla.ac.uk/schools/physics/staff/christophermessenger/#