Areas of work/research

Her research focuses on enhancing learning in Physics, particularly in the field of Astrophysics. By leveraging the promising features of augmented reality into physics instruction, she seeks to harness this technology to boost learning effectiveness. Her aim is to translate the often-abstract astrophysical concepts into accurate and understandable visualisations to tackle misconceptions and improve comprehension and interest of the learners.

Short biography

Aishwarya Girdhar completed her BSc. (Hons.) degree in Physics from the University of Delhi (2012-2015). From 2015, she worked as a science educator and communicator in Delhi. In 2017, she was awarded a full scholarship to participate in Astromundus, a joint master’s degree program in Astronomy and Astrophysics sponsored by the European Union. This unique program enabled her to study across multiple esteemed institutions: the University of Innsbruck in Austria, the University of Padova in Italy, and the University of Belgrade in Serbia, from 2017 to 2019, leveraging the program's emphasis on mobility and international collaboration. In 2019, she commenced her PhD in Astrophysics at the European Southern Observatory, Garching bei München in Germany under the International Max Planck Research School (IMPRS), affiliated to the Ludwig Maximilan University of Munich (2019-2023). Starting in 2022, she joined Newcastle University in the UK, where she furthered her research in Astrophysics. Her passions also guided her to the Audio Universe project, where she served as the lead for education and outreach, aiming to improve accessibility and inclusivity in science, focussing on the visually impaired community. In 2023, she secured her PhD in Astrophysics and started working as a Physics Education researcher, at the chair of Physics Education, at Ludwig Maximilian University, Munich.