Scholar wins NASA Fellowship

  • April 1, 2021
Scholar wins NASA Fellowship

Luis Welbanks wins prestigious NASA Fellowship to study exoplanet atmospheric properties

These outstanding young scientists are the future of astrophysics, and their impact on our understanding of the cosmos will be felt for decades to come.

Paul Hertz, NASA

A Gates Cambridge Scholar has won a prestigious NASA Fellowship to continue his studies on exoplanets.

Luis Welbanks has been awarded a NASA Hubble Fellowship and will begin his programme in the autumn at Arizona State University.

The Fellowship programme “enables outstanding postdoctoral scientists to pursue independent research in any area of NASA Astrophysics, using theory, observation, experimentation, or instrument development”. Over 400 applicants competed for the fellowships, which provide up to three years’ financial support, and only 24 were successful.

The programme is split into three parts and Luis will be one of seven Sagan Fellows focused on the ‘Are we alone?’ theme.

Paul Hertz, Director of Astrophysics at NASA Headquarters in Washington, said: “The annual selection of NASA Hubble Fellows always fills me with hope. These outstanding young scientists are the future of astrophysics, and their impact on our understanding of the cosmos will be felt for decades to come.”

Luis [2017], who is from Mexico, is doing a PhD at the Institute of Astronomy in Cambridge. His research has focused on deciphering the atmospheric composition of exoplanets – planets outside the solar system – by interpreting spectroscopic observations taken with ground- and space-based facilities.

As a Sagan Fellow, he will focus on developing next-generation inference frameworks, known as retrievals, to maximise the information derived from transmission spectra of exoplanets in a physically plausible way.

Luis will use a combination of theoretical models and upcoming spectroscopic observations to enable high-definition exo-atmospheric characterisation with transit spectroscopy. The aim is to provide a data-driven understanding of the model considerations needed to provide rigorous and credible estimates of exoplanet atmospheric properties.

Latest News

Study shows need for repeated vaccines for immunocompromised people

Vaccinations alone may not be enough to protect people with compromised immune systems from infection, even if the vaccine has generated the production of antibodies, according to new research from the University of Cambridge led by a Gates Cambridge Scholar. The findings, published today in Science Advances, suggest that such individuals will need regular vaccine […]

Scholars win recognition for impact and engagement

Two Gates Cambridge Scholars have been recognised in the 2024 Cambridge Awards for Research Impact and Engagement. Stanley Onyemechalu [below right] was runner-up in the Early Career researcher category for his work on the Legacies of Biafra Heritage Project and Emma Houiellebecq was highly commended for her research on  strengthening the resilience of essential services […]

Exploring the origins of snake diversity in South America

“Snakes to me are the most beautiful creatures that exist. They look so simple, but they are so complex. They can glide, swim and burrow. They are so varied. I want people to see how amazing and beautiful snakes are,” says Andrés Alfonso-Rojas [2022]. His love of snakes has fuelled his PhD in Zoology.  Andrés […]

How do we learn languages?

Samuel Weiss-Cowie’s fascination with language learning began at the age of 15 when he started learning Korean. He is now in the third year of his PhD looking at how the brain learns a new language or new words in a native language. He says: “I wanted to see what was happening in the brain […]