Priyashkumar Mistry

I'm Priyashkumar Mistry, and I'm doing my PhD in Physics (Astrophysics) on the topic of using the Veloce instrument to measure the masses of potentially Earth-like planets discovered by NASA’s TESS satellite at the University of New South Wales, Kensington, Sydney, Australia, under the supervision of Prof. Christopher Geoffrey Tinney and Dr. Benjamin Tyler Montet. I completed my Integrated M.Sc. in Physics from the Sardar Vallabhbhai National Institute of Technology (SVNIT), Surat, Gujarat, India, in September 2022.

I have been a member of the TESS Follow-up Observing Programme Working Group Sub-Group 1 (TFOP WG-SG1) since March 2023 and Sub-Group 2 & 4 (TFOP WG-SG2 & SG4) since April 2024.

My research interests are the discovery and characteriszation of exoplanets using transit, radial velocity, statistical validation, and transit timing variation methods; atmospheric study of exoplanets; and computational and observational astronomy. Currently, I'm leading a research group called VaTEST.

Achievements

Burbage Astronomy Student Fund (BASF), a bequest to support HDR students in astronomy, with an emphasis on exoplanet studies. The fund allows the astronomy faculty to award funds in support of HDR students' research and professional development. (17th April, 2025)
Development and Research Training Grant (DRTG), a centrally funded Grant-in-Aid programme that supports mid- to late-stage candidates in advancing their career development by funding skill development activities. (31st March, 2025)
Physics Top-Up Scholarship for 2024. Awarded to one PhD student per year on the basis of academic merit at the School of Physics, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia. (16th January, 2025)
University International Postgraduate Award (UIPA) for study towards a PhD in the Faculty of Science, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia. (3rd July, 2023)

First time on the observation deck at Siding Spring Observatory, Anglo Australian Telescope, Coonabarabran, Sydney, Australia

Convocated from SVNIT, Surat

I received an Integrated Master of Science degree in Physics and achieved a GPA of 9.04, placing 12th (out of 41) in my class. I am proud of my academic accomplishments and look forward to applying my knowledge and skills in my future endeavors.

- 21st February, 2023