DISRUPTIVE PLANETS

Clara Sousa-Silva, a molecular astrophysicist, uses quantum physics and computer simulations to figure out what molecules look like when they interact with light. Clara did her PhD with the ExoMol project (UCL, UK). While in London, she was the Educational Co-ordinator for the 

Twinkle Space Mission, which includes ORBYTS (Original Research By Young Twinkle Students); now Clara is the director for the Harvard-MIT Science Research Mentoring Program and the JURA program, where she help kids perform astrophysics research. Clara joined MIT in 2016. Since then she has been figuring out what different biosignature gases look like, and what would mean to find them on alien planets - her favorite one is phosphine. Clara became a 51 Pegasi b fellow in September 2019 Visit her website to learn more: https://clarasousasilva.com/