Sarath Satheesh Sheeba

Visiting PhD student

I am a PhD candidate at the Instituto de Astrofísica, Universidad Andrés Bello (UNAB), specializing in extragalactic observational astronomy. My research focuses on Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN), with particular interest in variability studies, AGN selection, and photometric redshift estimation. As part of my PhD thesis, I am working with Prof. Roberto Assef during my my final year at the Universidad Diego Portales (UDP).

Projects

I am an optical astronomer with a strong focus on AGN variability and time-domain astronomy. My current thesis research explores the use of variability to constrain the photometric redshifts of active galactic nuclei (AGN). As part of this work, I have developed VAR-PZ, an algorithm that models AGN light curve variability to improve photometric redshift estimation.
In addition to this, I am actively involved in studying variability in gravitationally lensed quasars and searching for Changing-Look AGN—rare events where quasars undergo dramatic spectral changes over short timescales. My broader interests include AGN selection techniques and the application of variability-driven methods in large time-domain surveys.

Highlights

I am a member of large collaborations such as LSST, 4MOST-ChANGES, SDSS V, and WST, among others, contributing to the advancement of AGN science.

Extracurricular activities

Outside of science, I enjoy learning Carnatic music, hiking, and cooking. I also like playing sports such as volleyball and table tennis in my free time.