Dr Shabnam Iyyani
Assistant Professor Grade I (Physics)
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RESEARCH PROFILE

Astrophysicist working in high-energy astrophysics, with a focus on the observation and physical modelling of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). My research combines high-energy data analysis and spectro-polarimetry with radiation-process modelling and hydrodynamic simulations of relativistic jets. I also apply machine-learning techniques to GRB observations and investigate their multi-messenger signatures.

RESEARCH IMPACT: 38 publications · 1200+ citations · h-index 16 · i10-index 24 (Google Scholar)

RESEARCH PROFILE:
GRBs | Relativistic jets | Radiation processes | Spectro-polarimetry | RHD/RMHD | High-energy astrophysics | Data analysis | Machine learning

EDUCATION:

  • PhD, Stockholm University, Sweden — 2011–2015
  • MSc Physics, IIT Roorkee — 2011
  • BSc Physics, Christ College, University of Calicut — 2009

ACADEMIC APPOINTMENTS:

  • Assistant Professor Grade I, IISER TVM — 2021–present
  • INSPIRE Faculty Fellow, IISER TVM — 2021–2026
  • INSPIRE Faculty Fellow, IUCAA — 2020–2021
  • Vaidya Raychaudhuri Postdoctoral Prize Fellow, IUCAA — 2016–2020
  • Visiting Postdoctoral Fellow, TIFR — 2016

RESEARCH FUNDING & PROJECTS:

  • ANRF Advanced Research Grant — PI, Rs 10.3 million, 2026–2031
  • Indo-German WISER Award — PI, Rs 3.7 million, 2026–2029
  • SERB Start-up Research Grant — PI, Rs 1.9 million, 2022–2025
  • INSPIRE Faculty Research Grant - PI, Rs 3.5 million, 2020–2026 
  • NASA Fermi Guest Investigator, Cycle 18, 2025 - Co-PI
  • IUCAA HPC allocation —PI,  50,000 core-hours + 2,000 GB storage

RESEARCH LEADERSHIP & SCIENTIFIC CONTRIBUTIONS

  • Lead, GRB Working Group, Daksha high-energy transient mission (proposed ISRO mission)
  • Member, AstroSat CZTI Science Team
  • Member, Fermi GBM Scientific Collaboration
  • Member, Fermi LAT Scientific Collaboration
  • Research spanning GRB observations, physical spectral modelling, polarization, relativistic jet simulations and data-driven approaches

SUPERVISION & MENTORING

  • 1 PhD thesis mentored (during my Postdoc)
  • 1 PhD thesis supervised 
  • 3 PhD students under supervision
  • 10 Master's theses supervised
  • 7 Minor theses supervised

AWARDS & RECOGNITION

  • Prof. P. I. Paul Outstanding Young Physics Researcher Award, 2024
  • Indian National Young Academy of Sciences (INYAS) Fellow, 2024–2029
  • IUCAA Associateship, 2024–2027
  • Excellent Performance Review, INSPIRE Faculty Fellowship, 2024
  • ASI AstroSat Prize 2025 — PhD thesis paper supervised. 

ACADEMIC SERVICE & OUTREACH

  • Extensive student/teacher science outreach through IISER TVM, IUCAA and INYAS
  • Organization of scientific workshops and training programmes
  • Academic/community engagement through high-energy astrophysics outreach

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS
IAU | Astronomical Society of India | IUCAA Associate | AstroSat CZTI | Fermi GBM/LAT | INYAS