People
Our group
We study planet formation and planetary atmospheres at the University of Virginia. Our work combines astronomical observations, data analysis, and physical models.
Postdoctoral researchers
Postdoctoral researcher · 2024–present
Arthur Adams
Arthur uses spectra and atmospheric models to study the properties and variability of planetary-mass companions.
Postdoctoral researcher · 2025–present
Dorian Demars
Dorian studies gas accretion onto forming giant planets using repeated images and spectra.
Graduate students
Graduate student · 2024–present
Daphne Broski-Laing
Daphne uses JWST to measure how the spectra of irradiated brown dwarfs change across their day and night sides.
Graduate student · 2025–present
Danya Alboslani
Danya studies changes in brown dwarf and planetary atmospheres with JWST observations and models.
Current undergraduate researchers
UVA · 2026–present
Casey York
Undergraduate researcher.
UVA · 2026–present
Eleanor Press
Undergraduate researcher.
UVA · 2025–present
Anna You
Undergraduate researcher.
Recent mentees and alumni
Peking University · visiting student · 2025–2026
Yihan Li
Yihan searched for exoplanets in repeated images from JWST's MIRI instrument.
UVA · 2024–2026
Benjamin Chang
Benjamin measured a brown dwarf companion's emission across wavelengths using images that suppress light from its host star.
UVA · 2024–2026
Maddie Chapleski
Maddie observed and modeled variable infrared emission from brown dwarfs.
University of Chicago · 2025–2026
Emma Pavlicek
VICO summer research student.
UVA · 2025
Shubhrangshu Debsarkar
VICO summer research student.
UVA · 2025–2026
Aryaa Patel
VICO summer research student.
- Sawyer Tabor, UVA undergraduate researcher, 2023–2025
- Cassidy Walker, UVA undergraduate researcher, 2024–2025
- Charlene Huynh, UVA undergraduate researcher, 2025–2026
- Jumi Hall, UVA undergraduate researcher, 2023–2024
- Malhar Kulkarni, UVA undergraduate researcher, 2024
- Mateo Guerra Toro, UT Austin TAURUS scholar, 2021–2022
- Destiny Howell, UT Austin TAURUS scholar, 2022–2023
- Aniket Sanghi, UT Austin undergraduate researcher, 2021–2023
- Neel Nagarajan, UT Austin undergraduate researcher, 2023–2024
- Zhanbo Zhang, University of Arizona undergraduate researcher, 2018
Prospective students
Science
Our projects address gas accretion onto young planets, clouds and chemistry in atmospheres, and methods for observing faint companions. The research pages and Deep Dive articles describe recent examples.
Preparation
Physics, astronomy, programming, and statistics are useful preparation. Prior experience with JWST is not required. Students learn the observing and analysis methods as part of their research.
Get in touch
I welcome inquiries from prospective students. Please email me about your research interests, background, and when you hope to begin. A CV or short summary of your experience is helpful.