Dr. Helmer Koppelman receives MERAC prize for Best Early Career Researcher

Dr. Helmer Koppelman has received the MERAC prize for Best Early Career Researcher for his PhD thesis at the Kapteyn Astronomical Institute Groningen. He receives this prize in the theoretical astrophysics category, for his multi-faceted and superb approach to the field of galactic archaeology. After completing his bachelor's, master's and PhD at the University of Groningen and a postdoc trajectory at Princeton in the United States, Koppelman is currently working as a data scientist at a company in the Netherlands.

Helmer Koppelman's approach to theoretical astrophysics, consisting of a combination of theoretical models and simulations with the newest observational data sets, has transformed the understanding of the history and dynamics of the Milky Way.

MERAC prices

The MERAC Awards are presented annually by the European Astronomical Society to recognize and support young European astronomers. In addition to the theoretical astrophysics category, there is the observational astrophysics category and the new techniques category. The awards come with a cash prize of EUR 25,000.