Dr Lisa Voigt
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Email
lv18675@essex.ac.uk -
Location
2.524, Colchester Campus
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Academic support hours
Spring Term 2026
Profile
Biography
I am an astrophysicist and Lecturer in Data Science and Statistics in the School of Mathematics, Statistics and Actuarial Sciences. My research focuses on cosmology, weak gravitational lensing, and advanced statistical and machine-learning techniques to improve the analysis of large astronomical surveys. Before my current role, I held postdoctoral positions at Imperial College London and University College London, where I contributed to the international Dark Energy Survey, Euclid, and the Gravitational Lensing Accuracy Testing Programme. I completed my PhD at the University of Cambridge, supervised by Prof Andrew Fabian.
Qualifications
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PhD in Astrophysics University of Cambridge, (2004)
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MPhys (Master of Physics) University of Oxford, (2000)
Appointments
University of Essex
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Lecturer (ASER), University of Essex (1/4/2023 - present)
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Lecturer (ASE), University of Essex (1/10/2019 - 31/3/2023)
Other academic
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Post-doc, University College London (1/10/2006 - 31/3/2013)
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Post-doc, Imperial College London (1/4/2006 - 30/9/2006)
Research and professional activities
Research interests
Astrostatistics; cosmology; weak lensing; machine learning in cosmology; data science
Conferences and presentations
Using CNNs for Precision Shear Measurement in Stage IV Surveys
International Astronomical Union (IAU) Conference (Exploring the Universe with Artificial Intelligence), Harokopio University, Athens, Greece, 2/6/2025
Precision weak lensing shear estimation using machine learning
UK National Astronomy Meeting in Hull (NAM24), NAM2024, Hull, United Kingdom, 16/7/2024
Teaching and supervision
Current teaching responsibilities
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Data analysis and statistics with R (MA334)
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Advanced Ordinary Differential Equations and Dynamical Systems (MA307)
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Contingencies II (MA312)
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Databases and data processing with SQL (MA332)
Publications
Journal articles (16)
Bridle, S., Balan, ST., Bethge, M., Gentile, M., Harmeling, S., Heymans, C., Hirsch, M., Hosseini, R., Jarvis, M., Kirk, D., Kitching, T., Kuijken, K., Lewis, A., Paulin-Henriksson, S., Schölkopf, B., Velander, M., Voigt, L., Witherick, D., Amara, A., Bernstein, G., Courbin, F., Gill, M., Heavens, A., Mandelbaum, R., Massey, R., Moghaddam, B., Rassat, A., Réfrégier, A., Rhodes, J., Schrabback, T., Shawe-Taylor, J., Shmakova, M., Van Waerbeke, L. and Wittman, D., Results of the GREAT08 Challenge★: an image analysis competition for cosmological lensing. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, no-no
Voigt, L., (2026). Controlling weak-lensing shear biases from undetected galaxies in the era of Stage IV Surveys. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 545 (3)
Voigt, LM., (2024). Impact of PSF misestimation and galaxy population bias on precision shear measurement using a CNN. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 528 (2), 3217-3231
Kacprzak, T., Bridle, S., Rowe, B., Voigt, L., Zuntz, J., Hirsch, M. and MacCrann, N., (2014). Sersic galaxy models in weak lensing shape measurement: model bias, noise bias and their interaction. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 441 (3), 2528-2538
Zuntz, J., Kacprzak, T., Voigt, L., Hirsch, M., Rowe, B. and Bridle, S., (2013). im3shape: a maximum likelihood galaxy shear measurement code for cosmic gravitational lensing. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 434 (2), 1604-1618
Kitching, TD., Balan, ST., Bridle, S., Cantale, N., Courbin, F., Eifler, T., Gentile, M., Gill, MSS., Harmeling, S., Heymans, C., Hirsch, M., Honscheid, K., Kacprzak, T., Kirkby, D., Margala, D., Massey, RJ., Melchior, P., Nurbaeva, G., Patton, K., Rhodes, J., Rowe, BTP., Taylor, AN., Tewes, M., Viola, M., Witherick, D., Voigt, L., Young, J. and Zuntz, J., (2012). Image analysis for cosmology: results from the GREAT10 Galaxy Challenge. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 423 (4), 3163-3208
Voigt, LM., Bridle, SL., Amara, A., Cropper, M., Kitching, TD., Massey, R., Rhodes, J. and Schrabback, T., (2012). The impact of galaxy colour gradients on cosmic shear measurement. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 421 (2), 1385-1398
Kacprzak, T., Zuntz, J., Rowe, B., Bridle, S., Refregier, A., Amara, A., Voigt, L. and Hirsch, M., (2012). Measurement and calibration of noise bias in weak lensing galaxy shape estimation. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 427 (4), 2711-2722
Kitching, T., Balan, S., Bernstein, G., Bethge, M., Bridle, S., Courbin, F., Gentile, M., Heavens, A., Hirsch, M., Hosseini, R., Kiessling, A., Amara, A., Kirk, D., Kuijken, K., Mandelbaum, R., Moghaddam, B., Nurbaeva, G., Paulin-Henriksson, S., Rassat, A., Rhodes, J., Schölkopf, B., Shawe-Taylor, J., Gill, M., Shmakova, M., Taylor, A., Velander, M., van Waerbeke, L., Witherick, D., Wittman, D., Harmeling, S., Heymans, C., Massey, R., Rowe, B., Schrabback, T. and Voigt, L., (2011). Gravitational Lensing Accuracy Testing 2010 (GREAT10) Challenge Handbook. The Annals of Applied Statistics. 5 (3)
Voigt, LM. and Bridle, SL., (2010). Limitations of model-fitting methods for lensing shear estimation. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Bridle, S., Gill, M., Heavens, A., Heymans, C., High, FW., Hoekstra, H., Jarvis, M., Kirk, D., Kitching, T., Kneib, J-P., Kuijken, K., Shawe-Taylor, J., Lagatutta, D., Mandelbaum, R., Massey, R., Mellier, Y., Moghaddam, B., Moudden, Y., Nakajima, R., Paulin-Henriksson, S., Pires, S., Rassat, A., Amara, A., Refregier, A., Rhodes, J., Schrabback, T., Semboloni, E., Shmakova, M., van Waerbeke, L., Witherick, D., Voigt, L., Wittman, D., Applegate, D., Balan, ST., Berge, J., Bernstein, G., Dahle, H. and Erben, T., (2009). Handbook for the GREAT08 Challenge: An image analysis competition for cosmological lensing. The Annals of Applied Statistics. 3 (1)
Paulin-Henriksson, S., Amara, A., Voigt, L., Refregier, A. and Bridle, SL., (2008). Point spread function calibration requirements for dark energy from cosmic shear. Astronomy & Astrophysics. 484 (1), 67-77
Voigt, LM. and Fabian, AC., (2006). Galaxy cluster mass profiles. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 368 (2), 518-533
Voigt, LM. and Fabian, AC., (2004). Thermal conduction and reduced cooling flows in galaxy clusters. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 347 (4), 1130-1149
Fabian, AC., Voigt, LM. and Morris, RG., (2002). On conduction, cooling flows and galaxy formation. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 335 (3), L71-L74
Voigt, LM., Schmidt, RW., Fabian, AC., Allen, SW. and Johnstone, RM., (2002). Conduction and cooling flows. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 335 (1), L7-L11
Grants and funding
2024
LMS Reboot Grant
London Mathematical Society
Contact
Academic support hours:
Spring Term 2026