Research

My research primarily focuses on the development of spatial point process models to detect and analyze the elusive Ultra-Diffuse Galaxies, as well as star clusters.

I also spend time on designing fast, approximate Bayesian inference methods using machin learning techinques.

For a full list of my publications, please see my Google Scholar.

* indicates shared first authorship. Names are listed alphabetically.

Li, D., Stringer, A., Brown, P., Eadie, G., Abraham, R. (2024). “Poisson Cluster Process for Detecting Ultra-Diffuse Galaxies.” Accepted to the Annals of Applied Statistics (In Press). Astrostatistics Student Paper Competition Finalist, Joint Statistical Meeting 2023. [arXiv Link]

Li, D., Eadie, G., Abraham, R., Brown, P., Harris, W., Janssens, S., Romanowsky, A., Van Dokkum, P., Danieli, S.  (2022). “Light from the darkness: Detecting ultra-diffuse galaxies in the perseus cluster through over-densities of globular clusters with a log-Gaussian Cox process.” The Astrophysical Journal 935 3. [Journal Link]

Li, D., Barmby, P. (2021). “Gibbs point process model for young star clusters in M33.” Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 501 3. [Journal Link][arXiv Link]

Cook, A., Li, D., Eadie, G., Stenning, D., Scholz, P., Bingham, D., Craiu, R., Gaensler, B., Masui, K., Pleunis, Z., Herrera-Martin, A., Joseph, R., Pandhi, A., Pearlman, A. (2024). “K-Contact Distance for Noisy Nonhomogeneous Spatial Point Data with application to Repeating Fast Radio Burst sources.” Submitted to the Annals of Applied Statistics.

Li, D.*, Zhang, Z.* (2024). “Bayesian Optimization Sequential Surrogate (BOSS) Algorithm: Fast Bayesian Inference for a Broad Class of Bayesian Hierarchical Models.” Submitted to Bayesian Analysis (Under Review). [arXiv Link]

Li, D., Eadie, G., Brown, P., Harris, W., Abraham, R., Van Dokkum, P., Janssens, S., Berek, S., Danieli, S., Romanowsky, A., Speagle, J.  (2024). “Discovery of Two Ultra-Diffuse Galaxies with Unusually Bright Globular Cluster Luminosity Functions via a Mark-Dependently Thinned Point Process (MATHPOP).” Submitted to the Astrophysical Journal (Under Review). [arXiv Link]

Li, D.*, Liu, Z.*, Zhang, Z.* (2024). “Stochastic Convergence Rate of Bayesian Optimization Sequential Surrogate (BOSS) for Bayesian Inference.”

Li, D., Van Dokkum, P., Abraham, R., Eadie, G., Harris, W., Romanowsky, A., Danieli, S. (2024) “Candidate Dark Galaxy-2: Discovery of an Almost Dark Galaxy with Four Globular Clusters in the Perseus Cluster.”

Non-Peer Reviewed

Van Dokkum, P., Li, D., Abraham, R., Danieli, S., Eadie, G., Harris, W., Romanowsky, A.  (2024). “Deep HST/UVIS imaging of the candidate dark galaxy CDG-1.” Res. Notes AAS 8 135 (Non-Peer Reviewed). [Journal Link]