I’m Mansi Padave, an observational astrophysicist studying star formation and the interstellar medium in nearby galaxies. I am currently a postdoctoral researcher at the University of California San Diego, working with Dr. Karin Sandstrom.

I earned my Ph.D. in Astrophysics in 2024 from the School of Earth and Space Exploration at Arizona State University. My doctoral research, advised by Dr. Sanchayeeta Borthakur, focused on how star formation proceeds in the outskirts of galaxies and how gas accretion from the circumgalactic medium supports the build-up of stellar disks. This work was part of the DIISC survey, where I led UV- and Hα-DIISC imaging efforts using archival data from GALEX and ground based imaging conducted at the VATT.

Before moving to the U.S. for graduate school, I received an M.S. in Astronomy and Astrophysics from Pondicherry University in 2017, and a B.S. in Physics from St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai in 2015. I was also involved with the Nehru Planetarium, Mumbai as part of the certificate course conducted by the University of Mumbai, which I took alongside my undergraduate studies.

My Research and Interests

I am broadly interested in understanding the physical processes that regulate star formation and shape the interstellar medium in nearby galaxies. This includes studying how gas, stars, and dust interact within galaxies, and how gas flows connect the disk to the circumgalactic medium. I am also interested in studying how galaxies assemble their stellar content over time and regulate star formation in their disks. This includes understanding star formation in low density environments and inside-out mode of disk growth. I am also part of the JWST Whirpool Treasury program, DIISC survey, and PHANGS collaboration.

What else?

In addition to research, I am committed to mentoring and supporting undergraduate and graduate students. I have mentored undergraduate researchers through NASA Space Grant and other programs and continue to be involved in outreach and community-building efforts. More details are noted in my CV. Outside of research and academia, I am almost always traveling and exploring.

I’m originally from Mumbai, India, with southern Maharashtrian (Malvani) roots. My mother tongue is Marathi. I spent most of my childhood in New Delhi and have also lived in Cochin and Hyderabad. I moved to the U.S. in 2018 for graduate school and have been here since.