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What are you doing now?

I'm a PhD student in Astronomy at the University of Cambridge.

What motivates you to do what you do? 

I've had a major, all-consuming interest in astrophysics since before I can remember and was effectively raised this way. Allegedly, the first word I ever said was Луна (Moon), and my birthday fell on the anniversary of Yuri Gagarin's flight to space.

Having the "advantages" that I do (I have been diagnosed with ASD and ADHD), I tend to hyperfocus extremely easily on something that is a burning passion of mine and, over the years, because I have sustained this interest at such an intensity, I simply stopped being able to see myself as doing anything but an astrophysics PhD (and staying on in academia), and have undertaken everything possible to make this dream a reality.

This has enabled me to pursue this interest and excel in it despite various problems over the years, such as a disastrous A-level result (I resat my A-levels twice after that and in the end was still very unhappy with the result).

Ultimately, and despite those issues, as well as problems and complications caused by my neurodivergence, my ability to pursue what I am interested in doing in the future has won out over all these difficulties.

How has your time at Warwick influenced what you do now? 

Whilst Warwick never altered my life goals, it was an excellent environment for me to develop skills I consider extremely important in my onward career: communication and presentation skills (of which presenting at Posters in Parliament 2025 was probably my favourite aspect) and academic writing (developed through writing and submitting the papers I was able to publish as an undergraduate), in addition to the course, which I rapidly excelled in from the first moment (despite my A-level results). I ultimately graduated with a first-class degree.

Whilst I was always interested in black hole physics, my time at Warwick has enabled me to progressively narrow it down until I chose the PhD of my dream, in the Institute of Astronomy at Cambridge, to study them for the next 3.5 years.

Favourite memory? 

The morning before the most terrifying of my final exams (Solar and Space Physics). I went to bed extremely upset that there was a giant thunderstorm over Wales (the upsetting factor being that it wasn't where I was, and this year in general was very bad for thunderstorms in Cambridge, where I was revising). I should have been careful what I wished for, because that night Coventry was hit by an exceptionally violent thunderstorm, with a simply terrifying radar signature, and for the next 2 hours or so I kept getting woken up by thunder and bright flashes of lightning. I didn't mind at all. I kept falling asleep through the ordeal with a huge smile on my face despite how loud it was outside.

I also then learned that the reason why it was so incredibly hot in my room when it first woke me, despite the window being open, was that the area that night experienced what is known as a "heat burst" event.

Considering that the exam I sat ended up having the second-highest grade I have ever received (91%), I always privately believed that I was "supercharged" by the thunderstorm.

Best thing about the Warwick community?

Despite my neurodivergence, I was really happy to have found a small community of people who I felt understood me among other students, and wanted to thank Charlotte, Eric, and Anna most of all.

The Physics department was exceptionally understanding and accommodating regarding my neurodivergence-related needs, and I do not believe I would have received a first-class grade on graduation if it wasn't for the support I received, for which I most of all wanted to thank Dr Dimitri Veras, Dr Anne-Marie Broomhall, and Professor Mark Newton most of all.

Favourite place on campus?

Tocil Wood.

Gleb Berloff

MPhys Physics with Astrophysics, 2026

Based in:

University of Cambridge (Institute of Astronomy)