Experience at IIA and a broad research philosophy
Prashanth Mohan
A question one often asks in the context of observations or an experiment is “what does it mean?”. The quest to find an answer opens up multiple paths, some of which are more tedious than others. It is instructive and highly rewarding to travel these paths to learn lessons, search for connections among these and apply them to future quests. My research is thus motivated, by the excitement in interpreting observed astrophysical phenomena and trying to understand a “big picture” by connecting sometimes seemingly disparate clues.
My journey as a researcher began by understanding the highly interdisciplinary nature of astrophysics that helped shape the above motivations. Owing to a background outside of pure science, the bridge courses at IIA and the people that taught them helped orient me towards problems in astrophysics. A graded strategy as espoused by my advisor Prof. Arun Mangalam served to help address problems and realise the connecting picture using the most optimal path. This involved first understanding the observations, and methods of data analysis and then moving on to interpreting the results and placing them in an overall perspective.
By encompassing a wide scope for research, IIA provided a much needed avenue for discussions on areas outside of my immediate work with motivated and inspiring colleagues and friends. This played an important role in shaping and sustaining the sense of excitement. Equally important were discussions on the philosophy of science, our role as researchers, communicating science through outreach and enabling rational thinking. These were also aided by cultural exchanges, discussions on literary works and contemporary world events and their impact, enabling a balanced world view. My immediate circle of friends, spouse and research colleagues continue to be a strong source of support in keeping my social skills and cognitive abilities sharp and alive.
About the author
Prashanth Mohan is an assistant professor at the Shanghai Astronomical Observatory, Shanghai, China working in the Square Kilometre Array group. His research interests include studies of active galactic nuclei and cataclysmic transients (e.g. gamma-ray bursts), and extremely high resolution radio interferometric observations of these.
