About Me

 

My Background:

Hi, my name is Dr. Brett Addison and I am astronomer in the process of transitioning from academia into data science. I currently hold adjunct research fellow positions at Swinburne University of Technology and the University of Southern Queensland. I obtained my PhD from University of New South Wales (UNSW) in 2015 where my research was focused on the detection and characterization of exoplanets.

My most recent position in astronomy was at Swinburne University of Technology as a Postdoctoral Research Associate from November 2022 until December 2023 (currently an adjunct). I worked with Prof. Michael Murphy in the Centre for Astrophysics and Supercomputing on a project aimed at very precisely measuring if there is any variation in the fine structure constant α, which governs the strength of the electromagnetic force, across the Milky Way galaxy using giant stars.

Prior to my postdoc position at Swinburne, I was a Research Fellow in Astrophysics at the University of Southern Queensland (UniSQ) in the Centre for Astrophysics from August 2018 until July 2022. At UniSQ, I worked with Prof. Rob Wittenmyer and his team of international collaborators on discovering new exoplanets using the Minerva-Australis telescope array located at the Mt. Kent Observatory about 20km south of USQ in Queensland, Australia. My research at USQ involves the detection and characterization of transiting exoplanets using the radial velocity and transit techniques. I am using the Minerva-Australis telescope array to carry out radial velocity follow-up observations of transiting planet candidates found by the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) to confirm the planet candidates and measure their masses.

Prior to UniSQ, I was a postdoctoral research astronomer at Mississippi State University (MSU) in the Department of Physics and Astronomy working on the Starchive Open Access Stellar Database with Dr. Angelle Tanner.

Outside of astronomy, I enjoy running, surfing, tennis, and solar eclipse chasing.

Education:

University of New South Wales – Sydney, NSW Australia

Ph.D. Astrophysics, Measuring the Spin-orbit Alignments of Extrasolar Planets – April 2015

Florida Institute of Technology – Melbourne, FL

B.S., Astronomy & Astrophysics, Magna Cum Laude – December 2009

B.S., Mathematical Science, Magna Cum Laude – December 2009

Honors and Awards:

Australian Centre for Astrobiology Scholarship – University of New South Wales

Award amount: $4,000AUD

August 2014

University International Postgraduate Award (UIPA) – University of New South Wales

Award amount: $57,140AUD per annum

July 2010 – February 2014

UNSW Exoplanetary Science Ph.D. Top-Up Scholarship – University of New South Wales

Award amount: $6,000AUD per annum

July 2010 – February 2014

Fred Sieber Foundation Scholarship – Florida Institute of Technology

Award amount: $6,000 per annum

January 2007 – December 2009

Florida Full Bright Futures Scholarship – Florida Institute of Technology

Award amount: $4,000 per annum

August 2005 – December 2009

Dean's List (GPA > 3.5) – Florida Institute of Technology

2005 – 2009