Professor Oleg Smirnov

Professor Oleg Smirnov is an expert in the field of radio astronomical data processing, calibration and imaging, particularly for the MeerKAT array and other Square Kilometer Array precursors, and is involved in the development of software for astronomy. He completed his PhD in Astronomy and Astrophysics at the Lebedev Physical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences. He spent 13 years at the Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON). In 2012, he was appointed to the SARChI-SKA Research Chair for Radio Astronomy Techniques and Technologies at Rhodes University, and was also asked to form and lead the Radio Astronomy Research Group at SKA South Africa (now the South African Radio Astronomy Observatory), both positions which he currently holds. Since 2013 he has published over 100 articles in journals such as Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Astronomy & Astrophysics and the Astrophysical Journal. Over the same period he supervised 19 MSc students and 14 PhD candidates.