Irham T. Andika

Astronomer and Data Scientist

Professional Experience

Hi there! I am a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Technical University of Munich and Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics in Garching. My research focuses on understanding how the first black holes and galaxies assembled across cosmic time probed via distant strongly-lensed quasars.

I previously worked at the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy from 2018 to 2022 and was actively involved in the Euclid Consortium Primeval Universe Science Working Group. Together, we developed the strategy to find and characterize quasars and galaxies in the early universe.

Before coming to Germany, I worked as a Data Scientist at two startups. The first one is Cermati, a technology startup that engages in the Indonesian financial technology area. The second one is a fast-growing tech startup with a mission to break the highly inefficient home & living industry named Dekoruma. My responsibilities include:

  • Analyze data from various resources to solve problems and deliver insights about the business, the products, and the market.
  • Data modeling using analytic programs, machine learning, and statistical methods.
  • Recommend ways to improve the design and delivery of statistical analyses, including automated approaches.
paranal expedition
The stars within our grasp. Image credit: ESO/B. Tafreshi.

Education

A brief history of my education can be found below.

Ph.D. in Astronomy (2018/22)

Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, Germany
and Ghent University, Belgium.
Thesis: The Hunt for Lensed Quasars and Weak-Line Active Galaxies at Cosmic Dawn – link.
Advised by Dr. Knud Jahnke and Prof. Arjen van der Wel.

M.Sc. in Astronomy (2016/17)

Bandung Institute of Technology, Indonesia.
Thesis: Study of Double-Peaked Lines Active Galactic Nucleus (AGN) as Binary AGN Candidate – link.
Advised by Dr. M. Ikbal Arifyanto.

B.Sc. in Astronomy (2012/16)

Bandung Institute of Technology, Indonesia.
Thesis: On the Nature of Type 1 Active Galactic Nuclei: Emission Properties and Correlations – link.
Advised by Dr. M. Ikbal Arifyanto and Prof. Wolfram Kollatschny.