• Could you tell us a few words about your background? I am originally from Longyan in southeast China. I received my bachelor’s degree from Shandong University, where I first became involved in research on active galactic nuclei (AGNs). This work sparked my interest in black holes and motivated me to continue research in this field. Later, I moved to Beijing for my master’s studies at the National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences (NAOC). There, I worked on X-ray variability in AGNs and also participated in searching for X-ray transients detected by the Einstein Probe. This experience gradually led me toward time-domain astronomy and eventually brought me to my current PhD project on tidal disruption events (TDEs) at the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics (MPE).

• What is the most exciting thing about your job ? I am especially curious about the physical mechanisms of black holes and still have many questions about them. My research provides me with a great opportunity to learn more about this field, gain new perspectives from other researchers, discover new TDEs and explore the rich diversity of them, and hopefully answer some of these questions myself.

• Why did you choose to become a scientist ? For me, science is a way to explore and understand the world in a more rational and systematic way. By becoming a scientist, I can investigate interesting topics myself and try to answer some of my own questions about the universe.

Figure Caption: (Left) Tianying with Sanxingdui bronze-figure-style sculptures at the Sanxingdui Museum in Chengdu, China. (Right) Tianying at Prato della Valle in Padova, Italy.

• What is the main focus of your PhD project ? My project aims to leverage time-domain observations from the Einstein Probe X-ray mission to discover new X-ray-selected TDEs and related Quasi-Periodic Eruptions (QPEs) by developing a machine-learning-based classifier and systematically studying high-confidence candidates. Using the selected sample, we can study many aspects of accretion physics of black holes, including the similarities and differences between X-ray and optically selected TDEs, the formation of accretion disks and coronae.

• What do you do for fun? In my free time, I enjoy reading different kinds of novels and playing relaxing farming simulation games. Sometimes I also like doing handicrafts, such as embroidery.