Simon Rookyard submitted his PhD thesis on pulsars just two weeks ago.
Held in Carrbridge in the Cairngorms National Park, the event attracts an international field of competitors. The winner is awarded the Golden Spurtle trophy.
Dr Izhar Khan from Aberdeen won the competition last year using a spurtle made by one of his patients.
An astrophysics postgraduate student has won the 22nd annual World Porridge Making Championship.