Ryan Johnston
I'm a
About
I am a first-year graduate student in the Astrophysics Group at the University of Alberta, working under the supervision of Dr. Gregory Sivakoff. I am originally from Calgary, where I completed my BSc in Astrophysics and Master's of Data Science and Analytics.
My research background is mainly in radio astronomy. In the past, I studied the emission from the jets made by supermassive blackholes in other galaxies under Dr. Jeroen Stil at the University of Calgary. I have also applied myself to other fields such as healthcare where I worked on a project with Dr. Chel Hee Lee involving the use of machine learning models and statistical methods to aid in medical decisions regarding fluid management within hypotensive ICU patients.
I am now focusing on stellar radio astronomy, studying stars with intense flare activity. These stellar flares are akin to the auroras that we see here on Earth but are vastly more powerful. Investigating their magnetic activity and surrounding environments is useful not only for a better understanding of stellar physics but also for assessing the habitability of exoplanets and searching for extraterrestrial life. This also has practical implications, such as enhancing our ability to protect both technology and ourselves from the effects of solar flares.
When I am not pretending I understand astrophysics or standing inside the dish of a radio telescope, I am busy being a drummer and a heavy metal rocker, which I've been doing for about 12 years and teaching music for about 3 years. I enjoy the outdoors and nature when the weather is good, doing things like cycling, and in the winter I like ice skating and hockey.
Astrophysicist & Data Scientist
Here's some facts about myself!
- Age: 27
- Degree: Master
- Website: astroryan.ca
- Blog: astroryan97.medium.com
- Email: rsjohns1@ualberta.ca
- City: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- Hobbies: Drumming, Biking, Ice Skating, Camping
- Drinking: Coffee
- Sign: 8.5" x 11" & made of wood
You can find my contact information at the bottom of the page, and more about my research and data science portfolio down below!
Resume / Curriculum Vitae
Education
Master of Science in Physics
Sep 2024 - Present
Univeristy of Alberta
Master of Data Science & Analytics
Sep 2020 - Nov 2023
Univeristy of Calgary
Bachelor of Science in Astrophysics
Sep 2015 - Nov 2019
Univeristy of Calgary
Academic Research & Presentations
Peer-Reviewed Publications
- Johnston, Ryan, Jeroen Stil and Ben Keller () ‘Properties of Compact Faint Radio Sources as a Function of Angular Size from Stacking’ The Astrophysical Journal 909.1, p. 73. doi:10.3847/1538-4357/abd857
Works in Progress
- Johnston, Ryan, Chel Hee Lee, Christopher Grant, Zekai Shao, Paul McBeth, Chip Doig, and Jason Waechter () ‘Fluid Management’ Intensive Care Medicine Status: In preperation
Contributed Talks
- Stil, Jeroen, Ryan Johnston and Ben Keller (). ‘Probing the interaction of AGN radio sources with the circumgalactic medium using SKA pathfinder surveys’ A precursor view of the SKA Sky. SKA Science Conference SKA Observatory (Virtual).
- Stil, Jeroen, Ryan Johnston and Ben Keller (). ‘Polarization and spectral index of mJy radio sources as a function of source structurefrom stacking’ SPARCS IX - Pathfinders get to work SKA Pathfinder Radio Continuum Survey Group. Lisbon University.
Colloquia & Seminars
- ‘Properties of Faint Extragalactic Radio Sources as a Function of AngularSize from Stacking’
Ryan Johnston (Colloquium delivered at the Physics and Astronomy Student Colloquium Series in Calgary, Alberta)
Conference Posters
- ‘Properties of Faint Extragalactic Radio Sources as a Function of Angular Size from Stacking’
Ryan Johnston (Poster presented at The 5th Annual Undergraduate Research in Science Conference of Alberta in Calgary)
Awards & Scholarships
ATU Local 583 Scholarship 2022
Oct 2022
Amalgamated Transit Union Local 583
Essay Contest Winner. Awarded to dependent children of ATU members enrolled in post-secondary programs.
Paul Robertson Family Educational Scholarship
Oct 2016
Shaw Family Group
Essay Contest Winner. Awarded to dependent children of full-time Shaw employees enrolled in a post-secondary institution.
Alexander Rutherford Scholarship
June 2015
Alberta Education
Awarded to graduating high school students for academic merit achieved in grades 10, 11 and 12.
Academic Experience
Research Assistant
May 2024 - Aug 2024
University of Alberta
- Performing research in observational astrophysics on radio transients and the jets from supermassive black holes. Attended regular meetings to discuss progress, current papers in the field, and relevant astrophysical background. Prepared two short talks to the astrophysics research group members.
Research Internship
May 2023 - Aug 2023
Alberta Health Services / University of Calgary
- Research assistant at the Department of Critical Care Medicine and the Department of Mathematics and Statistics in partnership with Alberta Health Services. Worked on a project involving the use of machine learning models and statistical methods to aid in medical decisions regarding fluid management within hypotensive ICU patients.
Teaching Experience
Graduate Teaching Assistant (TA)
Sept 2024 - Present
Univeristy of Alberta
PHYS 126 - Fluids, Fields, and Radiation
- Running laboratorial sections and confirming that students completed the assigned lab work sufficiently.
- Grading of lab assignments.
- Provided assistance in enhancing the understanding of material that students are having difficulty with.
PHYS 124 - Particles and Waves
- Hosted tutorials to enhance student’s understanding of discrete math techniques relevant to computer science. Assisted with the grading of assignments, quizzes, midterm and final exam
Physics Help Centre
- Providing help to students in first-year lectures and labs.
- Provided assistance in enhancing the understanding of material that students are having difficulty with.
Drum Instuctor
Sept 2022 - Sept 2024
Rhythmic Studios Inc (Contract Part-time)
- Instructed weekly drum lessons for students of diverse ages, ranging from children to adults, with a focus on beginner and intermediate skill levels. Delivered engaging and enjoyable lessons at multiple RS Music studio locations throughout the Calgary area
Graduate Teaching Assistant (TA)
2020 - Present
Univeristy of Calgary
SCIE 501 - Project Course In Natural Science
- Assisted students with in-class exercises.
- Provided guidance and feedback to students during various stages of their term projects.
- Supported grading of assignments, project reports, presentations, and final exam.
CPSC \(251\) - Theoretical Foundations of Computer Science I
- Hosted tutorials to enhance student’s understanding of discrete math techniques relevant to computer science. Assisted with the grading of assignments, quizzes, midterm and final exam
CHEM \(201\) - General Chemistry: Structure and Bonding
- Ran joint tutorial sections and activities over Zoom during COVID-19 in order to strengthen student’s understanding of the material from lecture. Assisted with the grading of assignments, quizzes, midterm and final exams.
Undergraduate Learning Assistant
Jan - May 2018
University of Calgary
PHYS 223 - Introductory Electromagnetism & Thermal Physics
- Assisted in running laboratorial sections and confirming that students completed the assigned lab work sufficiently.
- Provided assistance in enhancing the understanding of material that students are having difficulty with.
ASTR 209 - Intro To Astronomy II
- Assisted in invigilating midterm and final exams, answered students questions to the best of my ability in a friendly manner.
Skills
Here's an overview of some of my skills!
Programming Languages
Soft Skills
| Team-Oriented | Self-motivation | Hard-working |
| Adaptability | Time Management | Independent |
| Organization | Eye for detail |
Data Science Packages & Libraries
| NumPy | SciPy | Pandas |
| Matplotlib | Seaborn | Plotly |
| Scikit-learn | TensorFlow | Keras |
| PySpark | PyTorch | PyTorch |
Applications & Tools
| LaTeX | Tableau | Git |
| PostgreSQL | MariaDB | Neo4J |
| Docker | MongoDB | Heroku/Render |
| Microsoft Office Suite | G Suite | Pages |
My Research
Welcome to my research corner! This section is dedicated to showcasing my latest findings and insights. Through rigorous exploration and analysis, I strive to contribute to the knowledge base and uncover innovative solutions to problems in astrophysics. Explore the diverse range of topics I have delved into and discover the impact of my research in advancing science.
- All
- Astrophysics
- Health Science
Cosmic Magentism
We derived the median fractional polarization, \(\Pi_{0,med}\), of large samples of radio sources with 1.4 GHz flux density \(6.6 < S_{1.4} < 70\) mJy, by stacking 1.4 GHz NVSS polarized intensity as a function of angular size derived from the FIRST survey. Five samples with deconvolved mean angular size \(1.8''\) to \(8.2''\) and two samples of symmetric double sources are analyzed.We found that the median fractional polarization \(\Pi_{0,med}\) at 1.4 GHz is a strong function of source angular size \(\lesssim 5''\) and a weak function of angular size for larger sources up to \(\sim 8''\). We interpret our results as depolarization inside the AGN host galaxy and its circumgalactic medium. The curvature of the low-frequency radio spectrum is found to anticorrelate with \(\Pi_{0,med}\), a further sign that depolarization is related to the source.
doi:10.3847/1538-4357/abd857
Fluid Balancing
This project aims to explore the algorithms for fluid balancing, avoiding hypovolemia and hypervolemia in the ICU. We explore attention-based recurrent neural network (RNN) algorithms such as long short-term memory network (LSTM), using the MIMIC-III v1.4 database, to develop predictive models for the success of Fluid Bolus Therapy (FBT) in hypotensive ICU patients. In addition to developing predictive models for the success of Fluid Bolus Therapy (FBT), this project also aims to investigate the key factors influencing fluid balance in hypotensive ICU patients.
Read MorePortfolio
Welcome to my portfolio! In this section, I present a collection of my data-driven projects and showcase my skills in extracting valuable insights from complex datasets. From exploratory data analysis to machine learning models and data visualization, I demonstrate my proficiency in leveraging cutting-edge techniques and tools to solve real-world problems. Dive into my portfolio to witness the power of data and how it can drive informed decision-making and generate meaningful impact!
- All
- Machine Learning
- Computational Physics
- Astronomy
- Data Science
