Exoplanet Detection & Atmospheric Characterization

I am an astrophysicist specializing in the observational study of exoplanets, with a focus on detecting and characterizing planetary atmospheres using transit and radial velocity (RV) techniques. My expertise spans the full lifecycle of exoplanetary research, from developing data reduction pipelines for international facilities to leading the discovery of Earth-sized worlds in the habitable zone.

Current Research & Leadership

I currently serve as the Principal Investigator of Project EUREKA (AEI-funded, PID2023-152906NA-I00), a dedicated search for ultra-short-period (USP) planets and the architectural characterization of their host systems.

At the IAC, I hold several key strategic roles:

• LCOGT Responsible Scientist: Overseeing data quality and operations for the Las Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope network (LCOGT) at IAC.
• MuSCAT2 Core Member: Leading target selection and data analysis for the photometric follow-up of NASA TESS candidates and photometric time series in general.
• Atmospheric Research: Continuing my work with the Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC) as a key member of the GESS survey and supporting high-resolution transmission spectroscopy studies.

Academic Background & Career Path

I earned my Ph.D. in Astrophysics from the IAC/University of La Laguna (2013) as part of the Marie Curie Initial Training Network RoPACS. My doctoral work made use of GTC data to study exoplanet atmospheres and Wide FastCam to study transiting planet. Following this, I completed a postdoctoral tenure at IPAG (France), where I developed the data reduction pipeline for the ExTrA telescope, an ERC-funded project for high-precision transit detection. I have been a postdoctoral researcher at IAC since 2017.

Scientific Impact & Collaborations

With a career contributing to the discovery of over 100 exoplanets, I am an active member of several major international consortia, including CARMENES, KESPRINT, CHEOPS, MuSCAT2, and THIRSTEE.

My research productivity is reflected in the publication of over 260 refereed papers in total, with the vast majority (>95%) appearing in Q1 (first-quartile) journals such as Astronomy & Astrophysics, The Astrophysical Journal, and Nature. My work has garnered over 7,800 citations (h-index = 48), showcasing sustained impact and leadership within the international community.

• Total Publications: 260+ [NASA/ADS]
• Primary Quality: >95% Q1 Journals
• Leadership: 11 papers as lead author; 16 as 2nd/3rd author.

Technical Expertise

My expertise bridges the gap between complex raw data and scientific discovery through a specialized toolkit in high-precision transit photometry and high-resolution spectroscopy. I specialize in the joint analysis of multi-instrument time series, utilizing Bayesian inference and statistical modeling to perform robust global fits of transit and RV data. This dual proficiency allows me to move seamlessly from telescope operations and data reduction to the precise estimation of planetary masses, radii, and atmospheric properties.