Josh G. Weston

Astrophysics Research Centre

Queen's University Belfast

Belfast, Northern Ireland

Thanks for looking me up!

I’m a finishing Leverhulme Doctoral Scholar as a member of the Astrophysics Research Centre at Queen’s University Belfast (QUB). I’m also a part of the Leverhulme Interdisciplinary Network on Algorithmic Solutions (LINAS) at QUB’s Institute for Global Peace, Justice and Security.

My research focuses on astronomical transient detection and classification in the era of big data, applying machine learning techniques to surveys such as the Asteroid Terrestrial Impact Last Alert System (ATLAS), the Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF), and most notably the Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST). As part of my interdisciplinary network, I also investigate the epistemological impact of these machine learning tools on the nature of scientific discovery.

I’m currently due to submit my thesis by July 2026 and will be looking for work this summer - for collaborations, positions or just a general natter, feel free to reach me at jweston04@qub.ac.uk.

news

Mar 16, 2026	New article published in The Conversation: How big data is transforming what we know about the universe.
Mar 03, 2026	New article published in The Conversation: World’s biggest astronomy camera seeks to answer pressing questions about the universe.

selected publications

RASTI

Training a convolutional neural network for real–bogus classification in the ATLAS survey

J G Weston, K W Smith, S J Smartt, and 2 more authors

RAS Techniques and Instruments, 2024

Abs DOI

We present a convolutional neural network (CNN) for use in the real–bogus classification of transient detections made by the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) and subsequent efforts to improve performance since initial development.
arXiv

Identifying Transient Hosts in LSST’s Deep Drilling Fields with Galaxy Catalogues

Josh G. Weston, David R. Young, Stephen J. Smartt, and 3 more authors

2025

Abs

The upcoming Vera C. Rubin Observatory Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) will enable astronomers to discover rare and distant astrophysical transients. Host-galaxy association is crucial for selecting the most scientifically interesting transients for follow-up.