Astronomer  ·  Astrophysicist  ·  Cosmologist

I am

Mapping galaxy clusters across cosmic time — from intracluster light to dark matter — and building the tools to see deeper into the universe.

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Who I am

Hello from the cosmos

AP

I'm Amanda Pagul, a postdoctoral researcher at the Space Telescope Science Institute working at the intersection of galaxy clusters, intracluster light, and astronomical software.

My work centers on the six BUFFALO / Hubble Frontier Field clusters — building self-consistent multiband photometric catalogs across 100,000+ sources, measuring ICL fractions and their connection to dark matter halos, and characterizing cluster dynamical state through morphological proxies. I also work on machine learning methods through the Deep Skies Lab at Fermilab.

I did my PhD at UC Riverside (Dr. Bahram Mobasher) and my BA in Physics at the University of Chicago (Dr. Joshua Frieman). When I'm not analyzing galaxies, I'm tinkering — building pipelines, writing code, finding unexpected solutions.

🌐  English · Russian (native)  ·  Spanish (proficient)  ·  Basque (basic)

12
Publications
6
Clusters studied
10yr
In research
∞
Questions remaining

Career & background

Curriculum Vitae

Education
PhD, Physics & Astronomy  2022
University of California, Riverside
Advisor: Dr. Bahram Mobasher
“From Pixels to Cosmology: An End-to-End Analysis of Galaxy Clusters and Their Properties”
BA, Physics  2015
University of Chicago
Advisor: Dr. Joshua Frieman
“A Study of the Large-Scale Structure Using Counts-In-Cells within the Dark Energy Survey”
Positions
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Space Telescope Science Institute  ·  2022–present
Deep Skies Lab Collaborator
Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory  ·  2019–present
Visiting Scholar
Fermilab  ·  HFF & DES overlap research  ·  2019
Languages
English (native) Russian (native) Spanish (proficient) Basque (basic)
📄  Request Full CV
Computing & Skills
Python  ·  IDL  ·  R  ·  C/C++  ·  ROOT
Source Extractor  ·  TPHOT  ·  GALFIT
EAZY  ·  LePhare  ·  GALAPAGOS
HST DrizzlePac  ·  HEALPix
TensorFlow  ·  PyTorch
HST: ACS  ·  WFC3  ·  JWST: NIRCam
Observing Experience
Stone Edge Observatory  ·  300+ nights
Yerkes Observatory  ·  50+ nights
IRTF (NIR spectroscopy)  ·  3 nights
Lick Observatory, Shane 3-m  ·  7 nights
Selected Talks & Presentations
Fermilab New Perspectives · Aug 2021
Running with BUFFALO on the Frontier
🏆  2nd Most Accessible Talk · 1st Best Joke
STScI Galaxies & AGN JC · May 2021
Running with BUFFALO on the Frontier
Univ. of New South Wales · Dec 2020
Rusting Rays on the Frontier Fields
Invited seminar  ·  virtual
EAS Annual Meeting · Jun 2020
Herding BUFFALO Data: Processing & Extraction of Photometry

Stay curious

Updates & Following

Follow research topics to highlight relevant updates automatically.

Galaxy Clusters
SBI & Roman
Large-Scale Structure
Instruments & Software

My work

Research

Research Interests
01
Galaxy Structure at kpc Scales via Lensing Magnification
Gravitational lensing magnifies background galaxies to reveal sub-kpc morphological features — star-forming clumps, disk/bulge structure — invisible in unlensed surveys.
02
Intracluster Light & Cluster Assembly History
The diffuse stellar envelope of galaxy clusters is a fossil record of their assembly. I measure ICL fractions and morphology as proxies for dynamical state and dark matter halo structure.
03
Galaxy Bias & Large-Scale Structure
Using higher-order counts-in-cells statistics to constrain galaxy bias parameters b₁, b₂, b₃ in simulations — connecting photometric survey samples to the underlying dark matter field across redshift.
04
Machine Learning for Astronomical Surveys
Developing simulation-based inference and domain adaptation for next-generation instruments (Roman Space Telescope) and self-supervised neural networks for photometric pipeline automation.
Active Projects
b₁ b₂ b₃ vs. CCL predictions
Writing · Target May 2026
Uchuu — Galaxy Bias Paper
Higher-order galaxy bias b₁, b₂, b₃ from DM moment ratios in the Uchuu simulation vs. CCL theoretical predictions across redshift bins.
ICL fraction vs. morphology asymmetry
Analysis · Target Jun 2026
iclXdm — Relaxation Paper
ICL morphology symmetry metrics as proxies for cluster dynamical state, compared against X-ray and substructure indicators across BUFFALO clusters.
Parameter recovery: adapted vs. unadapted
Writing · Target Jun 2026
SBI / Roman — Domain Adaptation
Simulation-based inference with domain adaptation for Roman grism spectroscopy — transferring posteriors trained on noiseless simulations to real noisy observations.
CTE sink pixel turn-on dates · WFC3/UVIS
Submitting · Mar 2026
WFC3 ISR — Sink Pixel Turn-On Dates
Detection algorithm for identifying when individual WFC3/UVIS pixels become charge traps, mapping the full CTE degradation timeline from 2009 to present.

The six BUFFALO / HFF clusters below are plotted by ICL fraction vs. redshift. Click any cluster to explore.

BUFFALO Survey  ·  ICL Fraction vs. Cluster Redshift  ·  Click any cluster
Bubble size = cluster mass (M₂₀₀)
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My work

Publications

Lead author Co-authored
●  Lead author
Self-consistent Combined HST, K-band, and Spitzer Photometric Catalogs of the BUFFALO Survey Fields
ApJS  273, 10  ·  2024
Pagul, A.; Sánchez, F. J.; Davidzon, I.; Koekemoer, A. M.; Mobasher, B.; Jauzac, M.; Steinhardt, C. L.; et al.
100,000+ sources · 0.2–8 μm · all 6 BUFFALO clusters
Galaxy Clusters
●  Lead author
Photometric Data Catalogs for the Hubble Frontier Field Clusters and their Parallel Fields
ApJS  256, 27  ·  2021
Pagul, A.; Sánchez, F. J.; Davidzon, I.; Mobasher, B.
Large-Scale Structure
●  Lead author · Instrument Science Report
The WFC3/UVIS G280 Grism Sky
STScI ISR WFC3 2023-06  ·  2023
Pagul, A.; Ryan, R.; Kuhn, B.; Som, D.  ·  First sky images for G280 · stray-light characterization
Instruments & Software
○  Co-author
A New Step Forward in Realistic Cluster Lens Mass Modelling: Analysis of HFF Cluster Abell S1063
MNRAS  527, 3246  ·  2024
Beauchesne, B. et al. (incl. Pagul, A.) · Joint lensing, X-ray & kinematics
Galaxy Clusters
○  Co-author · Instrument Science Report
Sensitivity Evolution of the HST WFC3/UVIS G280 Grism
STScI ISR WFC3 2024-11  ·  2024
Incl. Pagul, A.  ·  Wavelength-dependent sensitivity losses 2011–2024
Instruments & Software
○  Co-author
The Stellar Mass Function in CANDELS and Frontier Fields: Buildup of Low-mass Passive Galaxies since z ∼ 3
ApJ  940, 135  ·  2022
Santini, P.; Castellano, M.; Merlin, E.; Pagul, A.; et al.
Large-Scale Structure
○  Co-author
Noise2Astro: Astronomical Image Denoising With Self-Supervised Neural Networks
RNAAS  6, 187  ·  2022
Zhang, Y.; Nord, B.; Pagul, A.; Lepori, M.  ·  98% flux recovery accuracy
SBI & ML
○  Co-author
The BUFFALO HST Survey
ApJS  247, 64  ·  2020
Steinhardt, C. L.; Jauzac, M.; Mobasher, B.; Pagul, A.; et al.  ·  Survey design & overview
Galaxy Clusters
○  Co-author
Journey with the SEO 0.5-m Telescope: Progress and Prospects
ASP Conference Series, Embracing the Future: Astronomy Teaching & Public Engagement  ·  2021
Njoku-Achu, N. O.; Offer, P. O.; Pagul, A.; et al.
Instruments & Software
○  Co-author
Measuring Linear and Non-Linear Galaxy Bias Using Counts-in-Cells in the Dark Energy Survey Science Verification Data
MNRAS  482(2), 1435–1451  ·  2019
Salvador, A. I.; Sánchez, F. J.; Pagul, A.; et al.
Large-Scale Structure
○  Co-author
Slack and Stone Edge Observatory: Where Astronomy Happens
ASP Conference Series, Advancing Astronomy for All  524, 201  ·  2019
Nowinski, M.; Pagul, A.; Meredith, K.
Instruments & Software
○  Co-author
Updates for Slitless Spectroscopy with HST/WFC3 and ACS
AAS Meeting Abstracts  242, 210.06  ·  2023
Pagul, A. et al.
Instruments & Software
🔭  Full list on NASA ADS

Career & background

Curriculum Vitae

Education
PhD, Physics & Astronomy  2022
University of California, Riverside
Advisor: Dr. Bahram Mobasher
“From Pixels to Cosmology: An End-to-End Analysis of Galaxy Clusters and Their Properties”
BA, Physics  2015
University of Chicago
Advisor: Dr. Joshua Frieman
“A Study of the Large-Scale Structure Using Counts-In-Cells within the Dark Energy Survey”
Positions
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Space Telescope Science Institute  ·  2022–present
Deep Skies Lab Collaborator
Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory  ·  2019–present
Visiting Scholar
Fermilab  ·  HFF & DES overlap research  ·  2019
Languages
English (native) Russian (native) Spanish (proficient) Basque (basic)
📄  Request Full CV
Computing & Skills
Python  ·  IDL  ·  R  ·  C/C++  ·  ROOT
Source Extractor  ·  TPHOT  ·  GALFIT
EAZY  ·  LePhare  ·  GALAPAGOS
HST DrizzlePac  ·  HEALPix
TensorFlow  ·  PyTorch
HST: ACS  ·  WFC3  ·  JWST: NIRCam
Observing Experience
Stone Edge Observatory  ·  300+ nights
Yerkes Observatory  ·  50+ nights
IRTF (NIR spectroscopy)  ·  3 nights
Lick Observatory, Shane 3-m  ·  7 nights
Selected Talks & Presentations
Fermilab New Perspectives · Aug 2021
Running with BUFFALO on the Frontier
🏆  2nd Most Accessible Talk · 1st Best Joke
STScI Galaxies & AGN JC · May 2021
Running with BUFFALO on the Frontier
Univ. of New South Wales · Dec 2020
Rusting Rays on the Frontier Fields
Invited seminar  ·  virtual
EAS Annual Meeting · Jun 2020
Herding BUFFALO Data: Processing & Extraction of Photometry

Sharing the cosmos

Outreach & Education

Support Astronomer  ·  Ongoing
Stone Edge Observatory (SEO)
Support astronomer and project organizer for the 0.5-meter remote telescope in Sonoma, CA. Developed software for streamlined observing sessions, instructed astronomers on data reduction, and revamped the observatory's communication infrastructure.
Sonoma, CA  ·  300+ nights  ·  Summer 2016 – present
Education Liaison  ·  Ongoing
GLAS — Yerkes Observatory Education
Long-term education liaison for GLAS (formerly Yerkes Observatory Education), working with the West African Regional Office for Astronomy for Development on the Stone Edge All-Sky Survey. Developed and taught workshops on observational astronomy for the public.
Williams Bay, WI  ·  50+ nights  ·  Fall 2012 – present
Award-Winning Talk
Running with BUFFALO on the Frontier
Presented at the Fermilab New Perspectives Conference for early-career researchers. Won 2nd place for Most Accessible Talk and 1st place for Best Joke — science communication at its finest.
Fermilab New Perspectives  ·  August 2021
Virtual Outreach Series
UCRxRAS Monthly Stargazing
Regular presenter in the UCRxRAS Virtual Stargazing Series, bringing live telescope observing sessions and astronomy explainers to the public during the pandemic when in-person observing was not possible.
UC Riverside × Royal Astronomical Society  ·  2020–2021
Public Talk
Through the Looking Mass: Uncovering the Nature of the Early Universe
Presented at the UC Riverside Grad Slam — a public-facing research competition for graduate students to communicate their work to non-specialist audiences in under 3 minutes.
UC Riverside Grad Slam  ·  June 2018
Science Communication
Middle Schools, Radio, & Public Workshops
Career Day presenter at Tustin Columbus Middle School; radio guest on WGTD-FM Yerkes Star Quest discussing astronomy and the observatory; DS9 workshops for undergraduate students at Yerkes Observatory.
2014–2018  ·  Chicago area

Get in touch

Let’s talk about the universe

Whether you're a fellow researcher, journalist, student, or simply someone who loves the stars — I'd love to hear from you.

✉  Email me 📄  CV 🔭  NASA ADS 🧬  ORCID ⌕  GitHub