Stephanie Buttigieg
PhD Student
Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge
I'm Stephanie Buttigieg, a CDT PhD student at the Institute of Astronomy and Christ's College within the University of Cambridge. I hold a B.Sc. (Hons.) degree in Mathematics and Physics from the University of Malta and a MASt in Astrophysics from the University of Cambridge.
My research focuses on understanding how supermassive black holes grow, pair up, and merge across cosmic time, and what these mergers can tell us about galaxy evolution and the population of black holes in the Universe.
By using cosmological simulations, together with analytical and numerical models for unresolved black hole dynamics, I aim to better understand the processes that lead to these mergers and their observable signatures. Much of my current work is motivated by low-frequency gravitational-wave probes such as pulsar timing arrays and LISA, as well as electromagnetic observations that constrain the demographics of massive black holes and their host galaxies.
Buttigieg, S., Sijacki, D., Moore, C. J., Bourne, M. A. (2025). Premature supermassive black hole mergers in cosmological simulations of structure formation. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 2019, 2038.
Previous research: Poincaré Gauge Theories of gravity, and their cosmological implications.
Science Communication
I have delivered multiple public outreach talks and appeared on Maltese national television to discuss my research. I also produce a social media video series, Astronomija bil-Malti, where I explore astronomy-related topics in short, engaging videos in my native language, Maltese.
Watch a public talkWomen in science
Equally important to me is increasing the representation of women in science. Through my social media account, @sipping_cosmos, I share my experiences as a young Maltese woman in academia, aiming to normalize women's presence in STEM and challenge long-standing stereotypes.
IncludeHer collaboration
I am a member of the IncludeHer collaboration, where I work with the UK team to investigate and improve the representation of women scientists mentioned in school curricula and the classroom, supported by funding from the Royal Astronomical Society.
About IncludeHerDownload a copy of my academic CV, including education, publications, awards, presentations, teaching, and outreach.