Curriculum vitae
Niall Deacon
1. Personal Details
Name: Niall Robert Deacon
Nationality: UK
Date of birth: February 1982
Languages: English (native speaker), Dutch (level B1)
2. Employment
2020- Interim Coordinator, Office for Astronomy Education, Haus der Astronomie, Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, Heidelberg, Germany
2017-2019 Postdoctoral Researcher, Department for Planet and Star Formation, Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, Heidelberg, Germany
2014-2017 Postdoctoral Fellow, Centre for Astrophysics Research, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, UK
2011-2014 Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Department for Planet and Star Formation, Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, Heidelberg, Germany
2009-2011 Low-Mass Stars & Brown Dwarfs Postdoctoral Researcher, Institute for Astronomy, University of Hawaii, USA
2006-2009 Postdoctoral Researcher exploiting Galactic Plane surveys, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
3. Education
2003-2006 PhD in Astrophysics, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK - Thesis Cool dwarfs and their mass function from infrared surveys
1999-2003 Master of Physics with First Class Honours in Astrophysics, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
1993-1999 Linlithgow Academy, Linlithgow, Scotland, UK
4. Awards
2003-2006 PPARC Postgraduate Scholarship
2002 Royal Society of Edinburgh Robert Cormack Undergraduate Research Prize
2001 Royal Society of Edinburgh Robert Cormack Undergraduate Summer Research Scholarship
2001 Ramsay Prize for Astrophysics 3
5. Research Interests
Low mass stars and brown dwarfs
The Initial Mass Function
Nearby stars
Survey astronomy
Astrometry
Survey modelling
White Dwarfs
Publications: see separate list
6. Teaching/Supervising Experience
150 hours in total of tutoring experience (1st year Physics, 1st year Astronomy, 3rd year Electromagnetism, 3rd year Galaxies)
7. Observing Experience
2009 One night LIRIS spectroscopy on WHT
2008 Three nights ISIS spectroscopy on WHT
2007 Two nights low res spectroscopy on TNG
2006 Seven nights UVEX observing on the INT
8. Public Understanding Activities
2004-2005 Researcher in Residence, Linlithgow Academy
2001-2002 SciFUN at Technopolis demonstrator
9. Interests
Follower of Falkirk FC (from a distance now)
Playing Football and Cricket (E=MCC most improved player 2006)
Pub quizzer (Edinburgh University University Challenge Team Captain 2002)