Postdoctoral Associate

MIT Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research (MKI) and the University of Southern Queensland (UniSQ) welcome applications for a Postdoctoral Associate to conduct research in atmospheres of exoplanetary systems using data from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). Applicants who are interested in connecting atmospheric physics to planet formation scenarios are especially encouraged.

The successful applicant will work with Drs. Andrew Vanderburg (MIT) and Chelsea Huang (UniSQ), whose research groups focus on the detection and characterization of exoplanets using a wide range of observations and analysis techniques. The successful applicant will primarily focus on analyzing JWST observations of a multi-planet system, but will be encouraged to pursue independent research projects and collaborate with other researchers at MKI, UniSQ and nearby institutions. 

The applicant will be able to take advantage of resources at both institutions, including the ability to propose for observations with the Magellan telescopes in Chile and the MINERVA-Australis array of telescopes in Australia. The Magellan telescopes host a versatile optical and infrared instrument suite, including the Planet Finder Spectrograph designed for measuring precise stellar radial velocities. Also of note is MKI's leadership in the TESS project. 

Position Requirements: Ph.D. in Astronomy, Astrophysics or related field. Experience with either exoplanet detection or machine learning is highly desirable, but not required.

The appointment will initially begin at MIT for 1.5 years, followed by an appointment at UniSQ for 1.5 years.

Applicants should submit a CV, publications list, and a brief statement of prior research (no more than 2 pages), and the names of two people who would be willing to provide letters of recommendation if requested during application review. Completed applications should be sent electronically to: Ms. Thea Paneth ([email protected] ) by January 19, 2024. PDF format is strongly preferred.