Hardeep is a visiting PhD student from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, where he works in the group of Akshay Singh. He will spend two extended visits in our group between March 2025 and March 2027, supported by a Royal Society award. His research focuses on the optical and atomic-scale properties of defects in two-dimensional materials, combining optical spectroscopy at IISc with atomic-resolution scanning tunnelling microscopy at UCL. This award and Hardeep’s visits are serving to strengthen ties between our group and that of Akshay Singh, with the aim of further developing this collaboration in the future.