Associate Professor in Exoplanets and Stellar Systems

About us

The Astrophysics Group is one of the largest in the UK, comprising about 130 members of academic, research and support staff, of which 21 are academic staff members. Our research areas cover cosmology, gravitational waves, galaxy formation and evolution, massive stars, star formation and stellar evolution, interstellar and circumstellar processes, exo-planetary and planetary science, atmospheric physics and instrumentation.

About the role

The Astrophysics Group in the Department of Physics & Astronomy (P&A) at UCL invites applications for an Associate Professorship in exo-planetary science and stellar-planet interaction with particular interest in (but not exclusive to) exo-planet direct detection, exoplanet-star interactions and stellar system environment characterisation.

With the discovery that every stellar system in the galaxy is statistically a potential host to a similar number of planets as our own, we have entered a new era (a second shift away from anthropocentrism) while facing the reality that there may be many other habitable worlds in our galaxy alone. The next few decades will undoubtedly be the decades of discovery and characterisation of such worlds. UCL has already invested heavily in this field both at MSSL (with contributions to the ESA PLATO mission) and at P&A supporting the ESA Ariel mission. These two exo-planet missions (photometry and spectroscopy respectively), as well as a multitude of facilities in the visible and near infrared from the ground, will yield a wealth of scientific results in the next decade.

We are seeking to appoint a candidate that will engage with this area of research and lead the effort in exploiting the results of these upcoming and current missions and facilities. This post will not only strengthen this are of the Astrophysics group, but will underpin future research developments for the next generation of studies in exoplanets and/or stellar systems.

About you

The successful candidate which we are seeking will be required to carry out world-leading research in terms of originality, significance and rigour on these topics; play a leading role in helping to foster the research environment within the group and the Department in terms of both the science exploitation and science definition activity for nascent and upcoming facilities.

The post-holder will also be required to spend time engaging in external activities that bring national and international esteem to the department and UCL and also contribute to our general aim at UCL of making more equitable and diverse environment for research and education. Many academics in the Department of Physics & Astronomy collaborate closely with the Department of Space & Climate Physics (at the Mullard Space Science Laboratory) and together these two departments have invested heavily in upcoming facilities (both ground and space) for exo-planets and stellar studies.

The post-holder would be expected to commit to high quality teaching and to foster a positive, equitable and inclusive learning environment for students. The post-holder will have a record of successful supervision and mentoring of students and will be expected to attract funding for the supervision of PhD students and to mentor research fellows and early-career researchers.

What we offer

As well as exciting opportunities, UCL offers a range of great benefits. Find out more: UCL Rewards and Benefits