Xiangyu Zhang

Xiangyu Zhang is broadly interested in interstellar dust and its role in the evolution of galaxies. He uses machine learning and high-performance computing to map the three-dimensional structure of the physical and chemical properties of dust in the Milky Way, with a particular focus on interstellar organic molecules, utilizing observations spanning from the ultraviolet to the radio. He received his Bachelor's degree from Tsinghua University in Beijing and his PhD from Heidelberg University and the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy (MPIA), Germany.

As a KIPAC postdoctoral fellow at Stanford, Xiangyu aims to extend three-dimensional mapping of dust properties to deeper and more opaque clouds, and to investigate the physical and chemical mechanisms that drive their variation. He also applies insights from the Milky Way to galaxies at higher redshifts, exploring the role of dust in galaxy evolution and the surprising presence of carbonaceous dust in galaxies from the cosmic dawn.