Short Bio
I’m an astrophysicist. I submitted my Ph.D. at the School of Physics & Astronomy, Monash University in August 2026, where I worked with A/Prof. Andrew Casey, Prof. Daniel J. Price, and A/Prof. Christophe Pinte. I completed my BSc with honours at Monash University.
In October I will start a position as a Flatiron Software Research Fellow at the Center for Computational Astrophysics, Flatiron Institute.
Research
I develop statistical and computational methods for astrophysics. My primary interests are star and planet formation and their connection to the interstellar medium, which I study by building tools that model spatially resolved spectroscopic data. My research aims to map the ionization structure of star-forming regions to probe how stellar feedback regulates star formation and galactic evolution, and to disentangle the kinematics and geometry of planet-forming disks. I also develop models to identify atypical stars in large datasets, which are often the most interesting. My work sits at the intersection of astrophysics, applied mathematics, and machine learning. You can read about projects I have worked on here.
I am a member of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey V Local Volume Mapper science team, as well as the exoALMA protoplanet-hunting campaign.
A large component of my time is spent developing software. I strongly believe that high-quality open source tools are a vital part of modern astronomy and astrophysics. You can find software that I have worked on here
Contact
You may contact me at thomas.hilder@monash.edu; my other links are here.