Graduate Faculty
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Biographical Info
My research interests begin with finding and characterizing nearby extrasolar planets using the radial velocity and direct imaging methods. I characterize the planets’ masses and orbits and use large ensembles of planets to study planet demographics and occurrence rates. I am especially interested in the effects of binary star companions on the formation and evolution of exoplanets. Nearly half of all stars like the Sun are binaries, and the gravitational influence of a stellar companion can inhibit the formation or destabilize the orbits of planets orbiting each star. I seek to understand these effects by statistically comparing the occurrence rates and demographics of planets in single vs. binary systems.
Biographical Info
My research focuses on theoretical cosmology and statistical methods in cosmology. I am a member of the Atacama Cosmology Telescope collaboration and the Simons Observatory, which are studying the cosmic microwave background (or CMB) at very sharp angular resolution to unlock the secrets of the early universe and the period of star formation. I use this data to answer questions about the structure of the universe, its initial conditions and its eventual fate using data.
I am also a member of the Dark Energy Science Collaboration of LSST, which is a telescope under construction in Northern Chile, and will scan the sky to deliver a vast amount of cosmic transients. I work on the supernova science with LSST to use the photometric data (without a spectrum of the object) to answer questions about dark energy.
I’m passionate about science communication and outreach, and the intersection of art and science – so contact me if you’re interested in collaboration!
One-pager from the 2023 Jamboree