Jenni Häkkinen

I am a third-year doctoral researcher working on the formation and future evolution of the Local Group. Mainly, I’m aiming to quantify the residual uncertainty in the predicted merger of the Milky Way and the Andromeda Galaxy using a combination of cosmological simulations and semi-analytic models of orbital evolution. Additionally, I have looked at the stability of stellar cores within cuspy dark matter haloes using idealised N-body simulations of ultra-faint dwarfs. My research is primarily funded by the Magnus Ehrnrooth Foundation.

I have previously obtained a Master’s degree in Particle Physics and Cosmology, and my thesis work focused on gravitational waves from early-universe phase transitions.

Throughout my studies, I’ve been actively involved in study advocacy at both departmental and faculty level, ensuring that students’ voices are being heard in university governance. At the moment, I’m a member of the Physics Department Council of the University of Helsinki.