Dr James Matthews

Dr James Matthews is a Research Associate at Green Templeton College, University of Oxford.

James is an astrophysicist working at the University of Oxford as a Royal Society University Research Fellow. He is interested in the extreme and exotic physics that can be probed using black holes and the hot plasma around them.

James spends a lot of time studying the jets and winds produced when material falls on to a black hole, the shock waves driven by these phenomena, and the high energy particles those shock waves can produce. This research lies at the intersection of theory and observation, and often involves the use of large astronomical datasets (for example, from X-ray or radio telescopes) or computational models.

James is also keen on public engagement, for example during Open Doors at Green Templeton or in partnership with Homeless Oxfordshire, and is passionate about improving research culture to make it fairer, kinder and more inclusive.