Salma is a young researcher with a diverse academic background and a passion for cosmology and astrology. She graduated magna cum laude from Al Akhawayn University in Morocco, majoring in Computer Science with a minor in Business Administration. Currently, she is pursuing a master’s degree in data science at Liverpool John Moores University, set to complete her studies in September.
For her Master's project, Salma is focusing on Generative Topographic Mapping (GTM), a powerful technique for visualizing and understanding high-dimensional data. Her research aims to revamp the GTM algorithm and demonstrate its effectiveness as an alternative to popular algorithms like t-SNE and UMAP.
Salma's academic journey has led her to an exciting research project within the LIV.INNO program. She is contributing to the creation of the first-ever digital twin of the Milky Way galaxy. This project combines observational data from sources like the Gaia satellite with cosmological simulations from the ARTEMIS suite. Under the supervision of Dr Ivan Olier-Caparroso, Dr. Sandra Ortega Martorell, and Dr Andreea Font, she is working on a hybrid model that integrates mechanistic and data-driven approaches and aims to enhance our understanding of the Milky Way.