Oleg SMIRNOV

Oleg Smirnov is a Distinguished Professor holding the SARAO Research Chair in Radio Astronomy Techniques and Technologies at Rhodes University while heading the Radio Astronomy Research Group at the South African Radio Astronomy Observatory. After receiving his Ph.D. in Astronomy & Astrophysics from the Russian Academy of Sciences in 1998, he began his career at ASTRON in the Netherlands. His research focuses on calibration and imaging techniques for radio interferometry, developing sophisticated algorithms and software for next-generation radio telescopes. Under his leadership, the Radio Astronomy Research Group has produced groundbreaking MeerKAT telescope images and established itself as a leading force in bridging radio astronomy with engineering. His work spans radio interferometry, calibration techniques, and software development for astronomical applications. He leads an international team of researchers and doctoral students, contributing to the development of the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) project while advancing cloud-based technologies for radio interferometry data processing.