Research

My interests lie mainly in the formation and evolution of massive galaxies, from high redshift to the local Universe. Here are the projects and collaborations I am involved in.

The Blue Jay survey: a snapshot on galaxies at Cosmic Noon

The Blue Jay Survey is a Cycle 1 JWST program aimed at studying the stellar and gas content of galaxies at Cosmic Noon (1.7 < z < 3.5). The survey collected deep spectroscopy (1–5 μm) for 150 galaxies, offering a representative view of the galaxy population during this key epoch of galaxy evolution.

As part of the collaboration, I contributed to both data processing and scientific analysis. I improved on the standard JWST I performed full SED modeling with Prospector and created a fully calibrated emission line catalog for the sample, enabling detailed studies of stellar populations and the interstellar medium.

AGN feedback and outflows in quiescent galaxies at Cosmic Noon

One of the mechanisms that are more frequently invoked to quench star-formation in massive galaxies is feedback from an AGN. However, obtaining observation proof of this is difficult, especially at high-z.

During my PhD, I investigated the connection between AGN activity, feedback, and galaxy quenching through the analysis of ionized gas emission lines in quiescent galaxies at Cosmic Noon. This work revealed a widespread presence of low-luminosity AGN activity within these systems, together with signatures of galaxy-scale ionized gas outflows

Since October 2025, I have collaborated with staff scientist Andrew B. Newman at the Carnegie Science Observatories on the INQUEST program, which observed 5 rare, gravitationally-lensed quiescent galaxies at z=2.1 - 2.6 in IFU mode. Spatially resolved emission-line diagnostics confirm the AGN activity commonly found in these systems, while kinematic modeling of the gas reveals the presence of powerful outflows

These results suggests that low-level AGN activity is capable of suppressing star formation through heating of ambient gas by ionized winds in this massive galaxy at Cosmic Noon.

Future Projects & Directions

My curiousity for the future focuses on understanding how AGN-driven outflows regulate the evolution of massive galaxies across cosmic time

Bridging high and low redshift with VLT/ERIS

Observations of a sample of intermediate-redshift massive quiescent galaxies (z∼1) with VLT/ERIS during Cycle 116 (P.I. LB) will provide a key step toward tracing the evolution of AGN feedback modes between the powerful ejective winds observed at Cosmic Noon and the maintenance-mode feedback seen in the local Universe.

Mapping neutral outflows in massive galaxies at Cosmic Noon

Follow-up JWST/NIRSpec IFU observations of massive galaxies from the Blue Jay sample will be carried out during Cycle 5 (P.I. Sirio Belli, Co-P.I. LB). These observations will enable a more robust characterization of the total mass and energy budget of galaxy-wide outflows, helping to establish the connection between outflows, AGN feedback, and galaxy quenching.

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