Sanjeevani - profile
Role: First year PhD student, Space and Atmospheric Physics Group, Department of Physics, Imperial College London
Subject area: Earth observation and climate change
Nationality: British
I am a first year PhD student in the Space and Atmospheric Group as well as RAL Space researching the interactions between far-infrared radiation and our atmosphere in support of the upcoming European Space Agency’s FORUM mission. I grew up just outside London and graduated from the University of Bristol with a MSc in Chemical Physics.
Interview with Sanjeevani
Hear from Sanjeevani, who is improving our understanding of clouds and how they may affect our climate
Education
GCSE (or equivalent): Maths, English Literature, English Language, iGCSE Triple Science, French, German, History, Geography
A-Level (or equivalent): Maths, Further Maths, Physics, Chemistry, Government & Politics
Degrees:
• MSc in Chemical Physics, University of Bristol
• PhD Physics (on-going), Imperial College London
Detail about Becky
My research
Using satellites, we can view the Earth from outside of our atmosphere and monitor all the different weather systems. I am working on improving our understanding of clouds using new satellite images that will be collected by the European Space Agency’s FORUM mission. From this, we’ll be able to better understand why clouds reflect light the way they do, and the effect it might have on our climate.
My inspiration
When I was younger, I watched the film ‘Day After Tomorrow’ almost every day. In it a climate scientist manages to accurately simulate Earth’s atmosphere and predicts enormous hurricanes covering the Earth’s surface. Almost instantly I knew that was what I wanted to do. I love how everyday processes you can see, as simple as light reflecting off a mirror, have huge implications when applied on a global scale. To me it’s been a massive puzzle that I want to solve.
Who is your STEM hero?
Katherine Johnson was an American mathematician who worked at NASA and her orbital calculations were vital to the success of the first US spaceflights. She was one of the first African American women to work as a NASA scientist.
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Most significant discovery/invention?
The internet. It allows fast communication across the world which has revolutionised our day-to-day life. A world of knowledge and research is now accessible to people everywhere, creating opportunities for many who may have not been able to study or research affordably before.
Career options after study
- Software developer
- Researcher at a space agency
- Climate activist
- Earth observation specialist mapping landscapes
My hobbies
Exploring London with my friends, writing, space, science outreach, and making my own clothes!
Sanjeevani talks about her research
Sanjeevani talks about her research using satellite images to better understand why clouds reflect light and what effect this may have on our climate.
