Frontier Research Group

@ University of Heidelberg

The new Frontier Research Group started in August 2023 at the Institute for Theoretical Physics, Heidelberg, Germany ! Research conducted by the group focuses on observational cosmology during the first billion years of the Universe - when the first galaxies and first supermassive black holes formed, and destroyed the neutral hydrogen which filled the Universe in the process of reionisation.


We are recruiting a PhD student for a start in September 2025 ! Multiple PhD topics concerning reionisation, the first galaxies, and quasars are possible. Please send your application through either the IMPRS Heidelberg (deadline Nov 1) or the HGSFP (deadline also Nov 1) programmes.
What's the difference? IMPRS applications are considered by all astronomy staff in Heidelberg, and HGSFP applications are considered by all physics staff. Our group is a member of both, so your application will reach us either way. In both cases, if your application is successful, you will then have the choice to register either for a PhD in Physics or a PhD in Astronomy degrees (which have slightly different requirements regarding attending courses and training events).


The group is currently offering multiple projects for Masters students at the University of Heidelberg! See more info here:
Masters projects 


We are proudly supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft through an Emmy Noether Junior Research Group grant.

Sponsored by

Group Members

Sarah Bosman - Group leader

My research focuses on the origins of supermassive black holes, reionisation, and the first galaxies in quasar environments. You can read about my research (explained simply) on this page, and find my publication list and supplementary paper data here. I obtained my PhD at the University of Cambridge, and conducted two postdoc positions at University College London and at the Max Planck Institute in Heidelberg before starting the Frontier Research Group.

Benedetta Spina - Postdoc

Benedetta studies the intergalactic medium both during Hydrogen reionisation and Helium reionisation using both modelling and observations. Her ongoing research is attempting to directly measure the neutral fraction at z~6 using the morphology of gaps in the Lyman-alpha forest. Benedetta obtained her PhD from the University of Bonn.

Klaudia Protusova - PhD student

Klaudia is conducting her PhD in the group on the topic of proximate Lyman-alpha emitters: galaxies living very close to bright quasars in the early Universe, such that their intrinsically double-peaked Lyman-alpha emission line is visible. She is a member of IMPRS-Heidelberg.

Bartosz Capecki - Master student

Bartosz is a student at the University of Heidelberg conducting his master's thesis on the topic of quasar evolution. He is looking for close analogues of the first quasars at later times using eBOSS and X-Shooter data.

Ander Artola - Master student

Ander is conducting a master's thesis studying the intergalactic medium. He is developing a new method for constraining the nature of dark matter using machine-learning of the Lyman-alpha forest. Ander works in collaboration with Dr. Prakash Gaikwad of the REIGM research group at MPIA.

Research (explained simply)

Research (professional)

Outreach and public involvement