The progress of science has been largely a matter of discovering what questions should be asked.

– Steven Weinberg

I think Weinberg says it best. Chasing the sharper (and sometimes crazier) questions tends to lead to great answers. While chasing one particular theory may call for depth, questions themselves require acquainting with many programmes, frameworks, and techniques; in my experience, you oftentimes find that they are more connected than first anticipated. This is insight.

As a rule of thumb, I work on things I find fun and interesting. (Fun is important!) That being said, my training is in theoretical physics, so my interests usually fall somewhere in that domain.

A big part of my research is about understanding how our theories in physics are built, and — maybe more importantly — how they should be built. Physics gives us an impressive toolbox. We’ve got hammers, screwdrivers, and some weird super-wrenches that only work in ten-dimensional spacetimes. Inventing new tools can be exciting! But sometimes we should ask: why does the hammer work in the first place? Is the hammer special? What problems does it solve well, and what assumptions are hiding in its handle? My motivation is somewhat shaped by my exposure to the Swampland Programme; an ongoing effort to map out which low-energy theories can actually arise from Quantum Gravity.

This style of inquiry has led my research through a broad range of topics, including:

• (Gravitational) Effective Field Theories
• Extra dimensions: compactifications and braneworlds
• Field space and its geometry
• Cosmic inflation
• Dark energy
• Fiber bundles and symmetries in the context of field theories

Some questions that drive my interests at the moment include:

• What can Quantum Gravity say about problems in Cosmology?
• How can Cosmology teach us something about Quantum Gravity?
• What makes problems in theoretical physics ‘problematic’?
• What would it take to ‘solve’ (or ‘dissolve’) them?
• What structures or principles allows us to navigate vast Landscapes of possible theories?