People of TALES – Meet Amie-Louise Doherty
- Could you tell us a few words about your background?
I grew up on the west coast of Ireland and moved to Edinburgh to study Chemical Physics..but after taking an elective in introductory astrophysics in my third year, I knew I had to switch to Astrophysics. I got my first introduction to X-ray astronomy during a traineeship at ESAC, and after returning to Edinburgh to finish my master’s degree, I was lucky enough to be offered a PhD position in TALES network at the National Observatory of Athens.
- What is the most exciting thing about your job ?
The people and places that it introduces me to! The TALES network, and the research itself, brings together a super international group of people. Moving to Greece, the multiple secondments, training schools, and conferences, all give me the chance to immerse myself in new cultures and languages, all while doing some very interesting science.
- Why did you choose to become a scientist ?
I think I just followed my curiosity about the Universe and it led me here. Growing up under an incredible night sky in rural Ireland, my Dad always took me outside to point me towards the constellations – and from then, I just never stopped learning about space.
Figure Caption: Hiking at Errigal mountain, Donegal, Ireland.
- What is the main focus of your PhD project ?
My project is exploring stochastic X-ray variability in eROSITA-selected QSOs. By measuring variability as a function of fundamental Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) parameters, such as black hole mass and Eddington ratio, I am hoping to place constraints on the X-ray Power Spectral Density (PSD) of AGN at a population level. By connecting my findings with observational UV results and theoretical accretion flow models, I hope to further our understanding of the structure and dynamics of the innermost accretion flow onto Supermassive Black Holes (SMBH).
Figure Caption: Amie-Louise presenting during the first TALES training event in Naples, February 2026.
- What do you do for fun?
Generally anything that involves being outside. I’m also a big fan of sea-swimming, Gaelic football, books, and cinema – and since moving to Athens I’ve taken up ceramics!
