Michael Chadolias

About me

I am a graduate physicist specializing in astroparticle physics with a focus on neutrino astronomy and neutrino physics. I am deeply fascinated by neutrino oscillation studies, from the experimental challenges of large-scale observatories to the phenomenological interpretation of their data. I am particularly driven to contribute to the computational tools that bridge these two worlds, turning raw data into fundamental insights. Since my undergraduate studies, I have been involved with large-scale neutrino observatories to study neutrino oscillations. My work connects experimental particle physics, statistical modeling, and high-performance computing, aiming to uncover insights into the universe's most elusive phenomena—from neutrino properties to potential Beyond the Standard Model signatures.

I recently graduated with an M.Sc. in Physics from Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen–Nürnberg, where I worked within the KM3NeT and ANTARES collaborations at the Erlangen Centre for Astroparticle Physics (ECAP). My research centered on neutrino oscillation studies, including a master's thesis that conducted the first feasibility study of tau-neutrino appearance with the full ANTARES dataset. I gained extensive experience developing large-scale Monte Carlo simulation chains using workflow managers like Snakemake and applying machine learning models (GraphNeT) for event reconstruction and classification. These large-scale analyses were powered by high-performance computing clusters at NHR@FAU and CC-IN2P3, providing me with deep, hands-on experience in scientific computing and big data challenges in physics.

My path into experimental physics began during my B.Sc. at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. I joined SpaceDot, a student-led nanosatellite team for ESA's Fly Your Satellite! program. As the trajectory subsystem coordinator for the AcubeSAT mission, I modeled orbital radiation environments using OMERE and FASTRAD, a project that formed the core of my bachelor's thesis. I further solidified my interest in neutrino physics through an internship at the National Centre for Scientific Research "Demokritos," where I contributed to the KM3NeT/ORCA experiment by analyzing the reconstruction performance of its 6-string detector configuration (ORCA6).

Beyond research, I am passionate about science communication and mentoring, regularly volunteering in outreach events to share the excitement of physics. Outside the lab, I can often be found in a strategic chess match, exploring a new board game, or diving into a Dungeons & Dragons campaign.