Denis Erkal

Denis Erkal is an Associate Professor (Reader) in Astrophysics at the University of Surrey's School of Mathematics and Physics since 2017. Previously, he was a postdoc at the University of Cambridge's Institute of Astronomy (2013–2017) and earned his PhD from the University of Chicago in 2013. His research focuses on galactic archaeology and near-field cosmology, particularly studying Milky Way formation via tidal streams from accreted systems and using galaxy dynamics to probe dark matter properties.

He chairs the Physics Department's Board of Examiners and serves as Academic Integrity Officer. Key collaborations include the S5, ARRAKIHS, WEAVE, 4MOST, and LSST projects. In 2020, he received the University's Researcher of the Year award.

His work explores tidal streams from globular clusters and dwarf galaxies, analyzing their structure and kinematics to map the Milky Way's gravitational potential. Recent studies include the Orphan-Chenab stream's dynamics influenced by the Large Magellanic Cloud and tidal disruptions in Hercules ultra-faint dwarfs. Erkal supervises PhD students in astrophysics and has mentored over 15 research projects.

Publications highlight discoveries like the SMC's northeastern shell star formation and the Magellanic Clouds' interaction history. He actively participates in large-scale surveys like Euclid and WEAVE to advance our understanding of galaxy assembly and dark matter.