Dr Christopher Chen

Profile

Dr Christopher Chen is a Reader in the Astronomy Unit of the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Queen Mary University of London. He gained his PhD in Space Physics at Imperial College London in 2011, before taking up a research position at the University of California, Berkeley. In 2013, he returned to Imperial as a Junior Research Fellow and in 2016 was awarded an STFC Ernest Rutherford Fellowship. In 2017, he moved to QMUL to become a Lecturer and then Senior Lecturer in 2021. In 2022, he became a UKRI Future Leaders Fellow and Reader in Space Plasma Physics.

Awards:

• Royal Astronomical Society Fowler Award (G), 2017
• American Geophysical Union Macelwane Medal, 2021
• Conferred Fellow of the American Geophysical Union, 2021
• American Physical Society Landau-Spitzer Award, 2022
• Fellow of the American Physical Society, 2025

Socials:

• LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/chkchen
• X: https://x.com/CHKChen
• Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/chkchen.bsky.social
• Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=Cvwre7sAAAAJ
• ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Christopher_Chen

Teaching

2024-25
SPA7004U/P Astrophysical Plasmas (Module Organiser / Lecturer)
SPA5307 Stars (Module Associate)
SPA7017P Masters Projects (Supervisor)

2023-24
SPA7004U/P Astrophysical Plasmas (Module Organiser / Lecturer)

2022-23
SPA7004U/P Astrophysical Plasmas (Module Organiser / Lecturer)
SPA7017P Masters Projects (Supervisor)

2021-22
SPA7004U/P Astrophysical Plasmas (Module Organiser / Lecturer)
SPA5307 Stars (Module Associate)
SPA6776/SPA6913 Undergraduate Projects (Supervisor)

2020-21
SPA7004U/P Astrophysical Plasmas (Module Organiser / Lecturer)
SPA7015U Undergraduate Projects (Supervisor)

2019-20
SPA7004U/P Astrophysical Plasmas (Module Organiser / Lecturer)
SPA6305 Physics of Galaxies (Deputy Module Orgniser)
SPA6776 Undergraduate Projects (Supervisor)

2018-19
SPA6300 Synoptic Physics (Lecturer)
SPA6305 Physics of Galaxies (Deputy Module Orgniser)
SPA6776/SPA6913 Undergraduate Projects (Supervisor)

2017-18
SPA6300 Synoptic Physics (Lecturer)
SPA6305 Physics of Galaxies (Deputy Module Orgniser)
SPA6776Undergraduate Projects (Supervisor)

Research

Research Interests:

See Dr Chris Chen’s research profile pages including details of research interests, publications, and live grants.

Publications

A list of my publications can be found on ADS or Google Scholar.

Supervision

Postdocs:

• Dr Cara Waters, 2025-27
• Dr Edris Tajfirouzeh, 2025-27
• Dr Davide Manzini, 2024-26
• Dr Florian Koller, 2024-25 (→ MSCA Fellow at QMUL)
• Dr Chaitanya Sishtla, 2024-25 (→ software industry)
• Dr Samuel Greess, 2023-25
• Dr Pauline Simon, 2023-25 (→ Maître de conférences at Sorbonne University)
• Dr Andrea Larosa, 2022-24 (→ Postdoc at CNR/ISTP)

PhD students:

• Shiladittya Mondal, 2024-28
• Simon Opie, 2021-25 (co-supervisor; main supervisor Daniel Verscharen)
• Jack McIntyre, 2020-24 (→ UK government research)
• Jesse Coburn, 2018-22, RAS Keith Runcorn Thesis Prize (→ Postdoc at MSSL/UCL)

Undergraduate summer students:

• David Parodi, 2025
• Matthew Bentham, 2025
• Oliver Basquette, 2024 (→ PhD at University of Cambridge)
• Guy Flint, 2024 (→ PhD at University of Oxford)
• Ayham Yousif, 2023 (→ MRes at University of Warwick)
• Shreyas Venkateshwarulu, 2023 (→ MSc at QMUL)
• Daniel Vech, 2015 (→ PhD at University of Michigan)
• David Stansby, 2014 (→ PhD at Imperial College London)
• Laurence Leung, 2013 (→ PhD at University of California, Berkeley)

If you are interested in undertaking a PhD project with me, please see the details of the AU PhD Programme and send me an email expressing your interest together with your CV.

If you are an undergraduate student interested in undertaking a summer research project, see Summer Student Research Programme.

Public Engagement

I have a variety of experience in public engagement. Some examples are listed below. Feel free to contact me if you would like me to take part in your public engagement activity.

News Articles
Parker Solar Probe enters the magnetic atmosphere of the Sun
Researchers uncover intense chaotic motions of the solar wind
Closest-ever approach to the Sun reveals dynamic origins of solar wind
Spacecraft measurements reveal mechanism of solar wind heating
How solar wind gains energy while moving through space

Media Interviews
Nature Podcast on the source of the fast solar wind (2023)
BBC Universe: The Sun (2021)
NOVA Universe Revealed: Age of Stars (2021)
Naked Scientists Podcast interview on Parker Solar Probe first results (2019)
BBC Radio London live interview on Parker Solar Probe launch (2018)
Imperial College Podcast interview on Solar Orbiter spacecraft (2016)
Interview for Capioca website (2015)

Science Exhibits and Festivals
QMUL Night of Science & Engineering (2024)
Summer of Space interactive exhibit at the Science Museum (2019)
Parker Solar Probe interactive exhibit at the Kennedy Space Center, Florida (2018)
Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition on Rosetta and Comet 67P (2016)

Public Science Talks
Open University Space Society (2024)
UK Students for the Exploration & Development of Space (2024)
Orpington Astronomical Society (2021)
Croydon Astronomical Society (2019)
Public talk on Parker Solar Probe at QMUL (2018)
Nerd Nite London (2015)
Crayford Astronomical Society (2014)
Eastbay Astronomy Society (2013)

Other Activities
I'm A Scientist STEM enrichment activity (2025)
I'm In Space STEM enrichment activity (2022)