The Orbyts Leadership Team
Dr William Dunn
Orbyts Director
I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to coordinate the Orbyts programme since 2017. Orbyts was also run by the fantastic Dr Jon Holdship and Lucinda Offer during 2018, while I was based in the US, and was founded in 2015 by Dr Laura McKemmish, Dr Clara Sousa-Silva, Prof. J. Tennyson and many others. During my time running Orbyts, I've been lucky to see hundreds of passionate and inspiring young people discover new things about the Universe and to see the programme flourish and grow to a national scale. I currently hold an Ernest Rutherford Fellowship, within which I work as an astrophysicist X-raying other planets (see the Orbyts project on Jupiter's aurora for more on this, or some of my research here: 1, 2, 3 ). Before my ERF, I held a fellowship at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics in the US, and a European Space Agency NPI fellowship at ESAC (Spain) and at UCL's Mullard Space Science Laboratory (UK), where I undertook my PhD and held a PDRA role. Prior to my PhD, I launched programmes for Amazon and spent 6 years working on shop floors for Arcadia Group, All Saints and Megacity, while doing my degree at UCL. At various points in life I've been a semi-professional dancer, a semi-professional MtG player, a school governor and, in between, I've tried to see as much of the world as life would let me.
Dr Vicky Mason
National Coordinator
I am the National Coordinator for Orbyts, ensuring the programme runs smoothly across all the hubs. I am a Physicist with a PhD in condensed matter physics but my real passion is for science communication and equality diversity and inclusivity issues within STEM. With extensive experience in developing, delivering, and evaluating outreach and public engagement activities, I am also one of three Directors of Discovery Planet, an award-winning community interest company, based in Thanet that aims to provide an inspiring space for everyone in the community to participate in enriching activities and build a vibrant, cohesive community. My main roles include project management and evaluation, workshop development and delivery, training others for workshop delivery, and co-creating workshops with researchers, industry collaborators, and community groups.
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Currently, I am a member of the STFC Advisory Panel for Public Engagement (APPE), where I continue to contribute to the field of public engagement and outreach.
Dr Abbie Bray
Co-Director of Orbyts, Joint Head of Teaching and Learning and LCN and Quantum Hub Lead
I am Dr Abbie Bray, a lecturer in Quantum Technologies at UCL and a co-director for the EPSRC CDT in Quantum Communications and Quantum Computation. My research background is Attosecond Physics with a particular focus on theoretical approaches to diverse atomic geometries and plasmonic enhancements in a laser field. My day to day mostly involves teaching, managing over 60 PhD students and EDI/strategy for quantum technology efforts in the UK.
As a queer working-class woman in science, I have always felt like the outsider and have faced many challenges within my career due to my protective characteristics. In particular, my socio-economic background feels very unique in my sector of academia. This is why my work in running and championing Orbyts is so important to me.
Christian Lao
Joint Head of Teaching and Learning
I am a PhD candidate studying the interaction between Earth’s magnetic field and the Solar Wind, focused on a phenomenon called “Substorms”. I did my undergraduate Masters at the University of Glasgow studying Mathematics and Physics finishing in 2021 when I joined UCL Mullard Space Science Laboratory to pursue my PhD. I have also been part of Maths Week Scotland, creating a library of resources to improve mathematics engagement and accessibility in Scottish Primary schools.
Dr Mark Fuller
Head of Evaluation and Impact
Mark studied Astrophysics at the University of Leicester eventually going on to gain a PhD in computational modelling, however it was working on outreach projects engaging young people in science that gave him the biggest joy. He is proud to be able to continue sharing his efforts through the Department of Physics and Astronomy at UCL and the Ogden Trust by supporting fellow academics sharing their passion and enthusiasm with the next generations.
Dr Jasmine Sandhu
RAS Liaison and Grants Coordinator
Jasmine Kaur Sandhu is a research associate at Northumbria University. She uses large spacecraft datasets to understand the Earth’s radiation belts - a very energetic and very dynamic collection of charged particles that surround our planet. Jasmine is also a councillor of the Royal Astronomical Society.
Wakami Soh
Social Media Lead
I am a recent Astrophysics graduate, completing my Masters and my Bachelors at UCL. Now, I'm working at UCL's Department of Physics and Astronomy as a Public Engagement associate staff with the majority of my work at the university's Observatory in Mill Hill. My day to day involves a fair bit of admin work, giving tours at the Observatory, and running the Observatory's instagram (@uclobservatory). My favourite bit is getting the opportunity to use the telescopes and conduct some lunar or planetary observations when the weather is clear! I'm also a freelancer at the Royal Observatory Greenwich as a Cosmic Ambassador. I wear many different hats but the common theme is that I love getting people excited and interested in Space!
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My love for space stems from my mum's childhood dream of becoming an astronaut (before she realised how much maths it required), as well as the fact that I'm from one of the most light-polluted countries in the world! Being unable to see the stars truly makes you cherish it that much more. Physics was also one of my favourite subjects in school so astrophysics seemed like the perfect combination! Outside of science and outreach, you can find me bouldering, doom-scrolling on the internet, or missing my senior dog who's back home in Singapore.
Alex Thompson
Astrophysics Hub Lead
I am a PhD student within the Exoplanet group in UCL’s Physics and Astronomy department. My research focuses on how stellar activity can impact exoplanet observations and the different ways in which we can correct for it. When I am not modelling or validating new correction techniques, I spend the majority of my time focusing on observations of the most active exoplanet host stars. My particular emphasis is on those on the target list for the UCL-led Ariel mission which is scheduled to launch in 2029 and will look at over 1000 exoplanets (which means lots of potential stellar contamination!).
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I am the lead researcher for the pilot Orbyts STAR (STudents Advancing Research) project which aims to extend Orbyts projects to hospital schools with the pilot project running this year (2024) in collaboration with the Great Ormond Street Hospital school. This is a cause that resonates with me particularly strongly as I suffer from Crohn’s Disease and have spent a lot of time in and out of hospital particularly during my secondary school years. I always try to be an ambassador for the Crohn’s and IBD community wherever possible. Largely in part due to my illness I have taken a longer, more unconventional pathway into academia and initially worked as a tattoo artist for several years before finding my place here. When I’m not breaking my own code and telling other people about stars, you’ll always find me out on a mountain somewhere; mostly trad and sport climbing.
Marc Amil
LiDo Hub Lead
I am Marc, a LiDo PhD student specializing in the application of generative AI methods to design DNA. My research focuses on using techniques similar to those used by ChatGPT, but instead of generating text, I create DNA sequences. This technology has diverse applications, including creating new therapies and medicine.
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I completed my undergraduate and Master's degrees at Imperial College London. Throughout my academic journey, from A-levels to university, I have actively participated in several competitions. During my A-levels, I was the Managing Director of NumeroAR in the Young Enterprise Programme, where I led a 20-member team to develop an augmented reality-enhanced math revision guide, creating an immersive learning experience. Our team won the AT&T Innovation Award and secured 2nd place overall. At University, I participated in the International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) competition, where we developed a biofungicide to combat stem rust, a wheat disease, and raised £80,000 in fundraising. Our efforts placed us among the top 10 university teams globally.
Alvarro Gonzalez Grajalez
Medical Physics Hub Lead
I am Alvaro, a Colombian physicist and biomedical engineer. After a couple of years working in the biomedical and pharmaceutical industry in Bogota, I moved to London to do a master's in Biomaterials and tissue engineering at UCL where I started my research on bone and cartilage regeneration at UCL and the Royal National Orthopaedics Hospital. Currently, I am a second-year PhD student in the Advanced X-ray Imaging group at UCL under the supervision of Professor Marco Endrizzi, where I’m using multi-contrast imaging techniques to observe the microstructure of the bone and cartilage and understand the repopulation of cells into tissue-engineered scaffolds.
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Back in Colombia, I had the opportunity to engage for the first time in programs for teaching math and science in schools, helping me realised how much I enjoyed making science accessible and fun for everyone. In Orbyts, I’m in charge of the Medical Physics Hub and I am leading a project on soft and hard tissue imaging where students are researching the ability of X-rays to produce 3D and non-destructive images of biological tissues. One of the most amazing parts of my project is that is being conducted by students with a Latin American background, so that I can also support their learning process of English as a second language.
Connor Ballard
Mullard Space Science Laboratory Hub Lead
I am a third year PhD student focussing on the detection, preservation and degradation of biosignatures in Martian analogue environments using a variety of spectroscopic techniques. I have a background in Geology and planetary science, therefore I love exploring field sites which can give insights on a past and potentially habitable Mars. Currently, I am investigating the potential of Lake Salda Mg-Carbonate deposits, collected during field work in Turkey, to preserve biosignatures when exposed to Martian conditions. This work contributes to understanding the biosignature preservation potential of similar Mg-Carbonates in Jezero Crater, a promising site in the search for past life on Mars. I actively engage in outreach, mostly through the Orbyts program, running two projects which have sent samples of astrobiological importance to the edge of space to simulate the harsh Martian surface conditions.
Dr Michaela Mooney
University of Leicester Hub Lead
I'm a researcher at the University of Leicester studying the aurora and the large-scale magnetic field of the Earth, known as the magnetosphere. During solar storms, the aurora or northern lights can be observed at unusually low latitudes across the UK as we experienced in May 2024! The aurora forms a unique observatory for us to study our near-Earth space environment. Earth's magnetosphere largely protects us from magnetic energy and plasma from the Sun but understanding the response of Earth's magnetosphere helps us to prevent damage to technology and infrastructure at Earth caused by particles and radiation in near-Earth space, known as space weather.
Before working in Leicester, I completed my PhD at the Mullard Space Science Laboratory at University College London (MSSL, UCL) and I worked with the Space Weather Team at the UK Met Office to evaluate how well current auroral forecast models perform against observations of the aurora - read more about our research carried out by Orbyts students at St Richard Reynolds Catholic College or in our paper here! For future research, I'm very excited for the upcoming SMILE mission which will provide the next generation of global auroral images from space and image the magnetopause in X-ray wavebands.
I've been involved with Orbyts since 2018 both delivering projects with schools and more recently establishing and coordinating the Leicester Hub. The team at Leicester are a wonderful group of PhD students and early career researchers who are really enthusiastic about their own science and using their exciting research to include and empower the next generation of young scientists. To me, working with Orbyts is a way to give back to the science community by helping to shape a more inclusive future in STEM and trying to ensure that the next generation of scientists feel more welcome in science and face fewer barriers.
Shannon Killey
North-East Hub Lead
I am currently a PhD student at Northumbria University studying the behaviour of super energetic electrons in the Earth's Van Allen radiation belts using a range of machine learning techniques on NASA mission data. I’m from a small island called the Isle of Man and have been lucky to have travelled the world during my years studying; starting at Nottingham Trent University (UK) where I did my undergraduate degree in Physics with Astrophysics before relocating to the University of Bonn (Germany) where I studied Astrophysics before completing my Masters degree in Astrophysics at the University of Sheffield (UK). While I’m now studying my PhD in Newcastle (UK) I have recently completed a 3-month collaboration at the University of Otago in New Zealand as part of my PhD! I love doing outreach activities and have been part of the Orbyts programme for the last 3, promoting STEM outreach as Northumbria's hub lead since 2022! I also love learning about Space, reading books and all sorts of crafts, but if you can’t find me doing one of these – I’ll likely be sitting trackside watching the race!
Dr. Marina Lafarga Magro
University of Warwick Co-Hub Lead
I am a researcher at the University of Warwick, where I use telescope observations to study exoplanets and their host stars. I am interested in improving exoplanet detection and characterisation methods by exploring the effects of stellar variability on our observations. I also try to learn about the origin and evolution of exoplanets by characterising their atmospheres and measuring their stellar obliquities. Recently, I have also been working on vetting and validating transiting planet candidates from space missions such as TESS using machine learning approaches. Before moving to the UK, I studied physics at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona and completed a PhD at the Institut de Ciències de l'Espai. I am always looking for new ways to improve equity, diversity, and inclusion in science. During my career, I have been lucky to be involved in several education and outreach initiatives focused on engaging historically underrepresented groups in science. I am one of the Orbyts Co-Hub Leads at Warwick, and currently also run an Orbyts project on characterising exoplanet transits.
Yoshi Eschen
University of Warwick Co-Hub Lead
I am a PhD student at the University of Warwick and one of the Orbyts Co-Hub Leads at Warwick. I am currently also running two Orbyts projects on analysing transits with TESS and CHEOPS data. After finishing my undergraduate in Natural Sciences at the University of Cambridge, I spent some time in Boston identifying new planet candidates in TESS data. Last year, I completed my Master’s working on TESS and PLATO and recently started by PhD in which I am using ground-based and space-based telescopes to detect and characterise exoplanets around compositionally diverse stars.
Karen-Anne Devoil
Communications Officer
Karen-Anne is a former marketing executive with many years of professional experience. Her first degree was in Earth Science and Geology at the University of Reading, later going on to study Astronomy at UCL and then Planetary Science and Astrobiology at Birkbeck the University of London, she is now focussed on marketing and outreach in this domain. Her current posts include Marketing and Outreach Officer at the Centre for Planetary Sciences UCL/Birkbeck, The Royal Astronomical Society Committee for Diversity (CDAG), UK Planetary Forum committee and UCL Your Universe Festival organising committee. She is also a Fellow of The Royal Astronomical Society and a ‘Space Inspirations’ STEM Ambassador and regularly takes part in a range of outreach and engagement initiatives working with partner organisations and local groups. Karen-Anne is also an advocate for preserving dark skies and green spaces helping to promote these issues with public engagement events for the Colne Valley Country Park and Iver Environment Centre.
Prof Jonathan Tennyson
Co-Founder
I am Massey Professor of Physics in the UCL's Department of Physics and Astronomy, and a Fellow of the Royal Society. I am co-founder and Chair of Blue Skies Space Ltd which aims to provide rapidly-delivered, cost-effective space science facilities with the Twinkle exoplanet characterisation mission as its first major project. My research involves using quantum mechanics to solve problems with real world significance including studies of processes involved in climate change (precisely how much light does one molecule of carbon dioxide absorb?), providing data to model technological plasma such as those used in etching silicon chips used in computers, phones, etc. and, of course, astrophysics. I was Head of Department until 2011 and I stepped down to run the European Research Council (ERC) funded ExoMol project (www.exomol.com).ExoMol aims to provide the necessary laboratory data to allow us characterise exoplanets. With my former PhD student Clara Sousa-Silva, I launched the ORBYTS project in 2015 for which the original projects were strongly focused about supporting ExoMol and the original tutors were all members of my research group.