Professor Dr. Yifan Mai

Biography

Yifan Mai is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Australian Astronomical Optics in the Astrophysics Space Technologies Research Centre. He specializes in galaxy evolution, galaxy kinematics, and the interstellar medium (ISM). His research investigates the evolution of spatially resolved ionized gas turbulence over the past 8 billion years and the metallicity distribution of galaxies at redshift z ~ 0.3. Mai's studies reveal the primary drivers of gas turbulence and its connection to the flattening of metallicity gradients in galaxies. He is particularly interested in how the environment shapes galaxy evolution, recently exploring the impact of ram-pressure stripping on the metallicity of galaxies in dense cluster environments. Moreover, he is a member of the science team for the upcoming MAVIS instrument, working on simulating its performance and developing science cases to take advantage of MAVIS's unprecedented spatial and spectral resolution. In addition to his work in astrophysics, Mai collaborates with the medical research team at the University of Sydney and the University of Chinese Medicine, leading a meta-analysis as part of a 10-year systematic review of knee osteoarthritis.

Research Interests