About Me

Hello!

I'm Zhuoya Cao, currently a PhD student at the University of Toronto, Canada. Previously, I worked as a research assistant in the Division of Astronomy at Westlake University, China. I obtained my B.Sc. from Tsinghua University, China, majoring in Mechanics and minoring in Astronomy.

My fate with astronomy began in junior high years with the microfilm of "Journal to the Stars", a story about a boy chasing his dream of becoming an astrophysicist. I was fascinated by the world inside the telescope that most people may never see or imagine. I did not have the chance to buy a telescope then, but the starry night sky somehow rooted astrophysics in my heart. I went for physics Olympics in high school, and was later studying mechanics in Tsinghua with astronomy as my minor.

In my undergraduate years, I participated in multiple research projects from N-body dynamics in solar system to hydrodynamics in protoplanetary disks -- enjoying a taste combining mechanics and astronomy contexts. I awed at how most basic mechanics principles could be applied to understand the complex dynamics of solar system, Oort cloud and protoplanetary disks.

Thanks to my brilliant advisors and precious fellowship, I had the opportunity to intern at Harvard Center for Astrophysics in 2024 fall with Prof. Avi Loeb, and do research assistantship at Westlake University in 2025 with Prof. Shude Mao and Prof. Doug Lin. I also went to the ET 2.0 Conference, Shanghai to present my work on Oort cloud dynamics. These experiences helped me to see a broader astronomy society beyond my computer and sharpen my research skills as a young astronomer.

In my part time, I am a fan of singing, nice food and traveling. I am also a beginner in photography and Japanese. I enjoy exploring new things and challenging myself.