I’m Conor MacBride, a data scientist based in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

In my free time I contribute to open source projects, including SunPy and Astropy. While my effort primarily involves Python development, I also work on integrating DevOps into open source projects to increase the quality of software and make it easier for new contributors to get involved. I achieve this by developing and maintaining Matplotlib’s pytest-mpl plugin and CI/CD pipeline templates, as well as working with open source projects directly.

I obtained a PhD in astrophysics from Queen’s University Belfast in 2023, which involved studying waves in the Sun’s atmosphere using numerical simulations. Prior to that, I obtained an MPhys Mathematics and Theoretical Physics (first-class honours) from the University of St Andrews in 2019. During my time at St Andrews, I co-founded an award-winning science podcast, insight.