Jennifer Y. H. Chan
(she/her/hers)
- Visiting Assistant Professor of Physics
Areas of Study
Education
- BA, physics, University of Oxford
- MSc, astrophysics, University College London - Department of Physics & Astronomy
- PhD, astrophysics, University College London - Department of Space & Climate Physics/ Mullard Space Science Laboratory
Biography
I am an astrophysicist whose research and teaching are shaped by experiences across Asia, the United Kingdom, Canada, and the United States. My journey has been made possible through generous scholarships and the guidance of inspiring mentors, and I see it as a privilege to contribute to the work I do today.
My research draws on understanding across physics, astrophysics, and cosmology to interpret what we observe in the radio sky and advance our knowledge of how the Universe evolves. I focus on cosmic magnetism and diffuse gas, from galaxies to the vast cosmic web. A central theme is connecting theoretical ideas with observations, developing clear predictions that help extract scientific insight from complex astronomical data, including polarimetric and 21-cm signals. My work also explores structure, pattern, and visualization in large datasets.
I enjoy teaching physics and astronomy at all levels, viewing the classroom as a shared learning space. It is a great joy to guide students as they develop the knowledge, skills, and confidence to pursue their own aspirations, growing alongside them as they discover what they are capable of achieving.
Fall 2025
Elementary Physics I — PHYS 103
Mechanics and Relativity — PHYS 110
Special Problems in Physics and Astronomy — PHYS 451
Spring 2026
Elementary Physics II — PHYS 104
Electricity and Magnetism — PHYS 311
Special Problems in Physics and Astronomy — PHYS 451
- Cosmic magnetism: Using radio polarimetry to study magnetic fields in galaxies, clusters, and the cosmic web, helping us understand how the Universe is structured and evolves over time.
- Cosmological reionization: Investigating the Universe from the Dark Ages through the reionization period using the 21-cm signal from hydrogen, revealing how the first stars and galaxies transformed the cosmos.
- Theory–observation connections: Developing robust theoretical frameworks for how light travels through the expanding Universe, helping us make reliable predictions that connect physics with what we can actually observe.
- Data analysis and structure detection: Extracting clear scientific insight from complex datasets, including patterns in large-scale cosmic structures.
- Teaching & STEM outreach: Creating inclusive spaces where students can explore physics and astrophysics, connect theory to real-world phenomena, and develop scientific thinking and confidence through lectures, hands-on activities, research, and outreach experiences.
- A covariant formulation for cosmological radiative transfer of the 21-cm line
Jennifer Y. H. Chan, Qin Han, Kinwah Wu, and Jason D. McEwen, MNRAS, vol. 531, Issue 1, pp. 434-449, Jun 2024. DOI:10.1093/mnras/stae1101 and arXiv:2404.14407 (16 pages, 11 figures, 3 tables). - All-sky Radiative Transfer and Characterization for Cosmic Structures
Jennifer Y. H. Chan, UCL Doctoral thesis, Aug 2020. Awarded Michael Penston Thesis Prize 2020. Eprint:10112871 (285 pages, 54 figures, 6 tables) - Polarized radiative transfer, rotation measure fluctuations, and large-scale magnetic fields
Alvina Y. L. On, Jennifer Y. H. Chan, Kinwah Wu, Curtis J. Saxton, and Lidia van Driel-Gesztelyi, MNRAS, vol. 490, Issue 2, pp. 1697-1713, Dec - Covariant polarized radiative transfer on cosmological scales for investigating large-scale magnetic field structures
Jennifer Y. H. Chan, Kinwah Wu, Alvina Y. L. On , David J. Barnes, Jason D. McEwen, and Thomas D. Kitching, MNRAS, vol. 484, Issue 2, pp. 1427-1455, Apr 2019. DOI:10.1093/mnras/sty3498 and arXiv:1901.04581 (28 pages, 14 figures, 7 tables). - Second-generation curvelets on the sphere
Jennifer Y. H. Chan, Boris Leistedt, Thomas D. Kitching, and Jason D. McEwen, IEEE Trans. Signal Process., vol. 65, no. 1, pp. 5-14, Jan 2017. DOI: 10.1109/TSP.2016.2600506 and arXiv:1511.05578 (9 pages, 7 figures). Open-source code: https://astro-informatics.github.io/s2let/
- Selected 200 young scientists for the inaugural Hong Kong Laureate Forum
- Joint prize postdoctoral fellowships: Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics Postdoctoral Fellowship (2020–25), and University of Toronto Arts & Science Fellowship (2021–23)
- Royal Astronomical Society Michael Penston Thesis Prize 2020
- Awarded for best doctoral thesis in astronomy and astrophysics in the UK
- Graduate Research Scholarship and Overseas Research Scholarship
- Awarded for academic and research excellence to support PhD research at University College London (UCL)
- Faculty of Mathematical & Physical Science Postgraduate Prize
- Awarded for outstanding achievement in MSc taught programs within the Faculty of Mathematical & Science at UCL
- Harrie Massey Prize, UCL
- Awarded to the top student on both Physics and Astronomy MSc programs at UCL
- Benenden School Hong Kong Trust Scholarship
- Full scholarship to support education at both Benenden School and the University of Oxford