I'm Utkarsh Mali

a PhD Candidate

Welcome

at the Department of Physics | University of Toronto

About Me

About Me

I'm Utkarsh Mali, a PhD Candidate at the University of Toronto

I'm Utkarsh, a dedicated and motivated student at CITA, the Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics. As a theoretical physicist, I have a strong interest in the physics of gravitational waves and the computational methods used to understand them. Additionally, I am a member of the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) scientific collaboration

I am also passionate about teaching and communicating science to the public. I enjoy organizing and attending various outreach and educational initiatives.

I am originally from Singapore where I have lived most of my life. When I am not studying, I enjoy playing boardgames, competing in ultimate frisbee and generally staying active.

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Year of PhD

20+

Awards

10+

Talks

1

Publications

Research

Research

Gravitational Wave Cosmology

Studying cosmology through the gravitational-wave signals from binary coalescence. I am currently using a parametric mass distribution to study the constraining power of the spectral sirens picture.

Compact Objects

Understanding the rates and populations of coalescing compact objects in the universe. Studying the impact of tidal effects on the compact object distribution.

Astro-statistics

Implementing robust statistical frameworks to infer single event and population level information. Using hierarchical bayesian inference and hamiltonian monte carlo.

Publications

Publications

SSC21-WKII

HERON: Demonstrating a Novel Biological Platform for Small Satellite Missions

Dylan Vogel et al. (incl. Utkarsh Mali)
Jul 2021

Long-duration deep space missions pose a significant health risk for both humans and their resident microorganisms. The University of Toronto Aerospace Team (UTAT) Space Systems Division has developed the HERON CubeSat. HERON houses a payload platform which measures the effects of the low-Earth-orbit (LEO) environment on the gene expression and drug resistance of Candida albicans, a yeast commonly found in the human gut microbiome. HERON launched in Q1 2023 into a Sun-synchronous orbit via a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket at an altitude of approximately 550 km. Our platform is open-source and can serve as a low-cost template for future biological CubeSat missions. This paper serves as a technical and scientific description of the platform, along with the lessons learned during the payload design, assembly, and validation processes.

All Publications

Teaching

Teaching

Introduction to Physics I Teaching Assistant, PHY131

Anonymous Student Feedback:

"I thought practicals were extremely fun and helped stimulate my learning and understanding of physics"

"Really great, extremely helpful and encouraging"

"I think the practicals were the best part of physics for me. Both instructors are awesome people that you should cherish."

"Excellent TA, very helpful, kind and approachable. Passionate about teaching students"

"Introduction to Physics II" Teaching Assistant, PHY132

Anonymous Student Feedback:

"Probably one of the best TAs I have had in my entire university experience."

"Utkarsh is an extremely helpful and thought-provoking TA. He is awesome, and his passion for physics is apparent in every one of his explanations to students. I greatly appreciate all of his help during the PHY132 practicals this semester."

"Physics II" Teaching Assistant, PHY152

Course in progress