Astronomy

Alexandra Amon

Member since 2023

Occupation: Senior Kavli Research Fellow at Institute of Astronomy, Cambridge University (Trinity College)

I am delighted to work with the UK Young Academy to think creatively and innovate new pathways to tackle the local and global challenges that we as a society face.

Bio

Alexandra Amon is an astrophysicist whose research focuses on cosmology and understanding our dark Universe, mostly using a tool called ‘weak gravitational lensing’. At present, she co-coordinates the team within the Dark Energy Survey – a large international collaboration. Recently, she won the Caroline Herschel Prize. After growing up in Trinidad and Tobago, Alexandra studied at the University of Edinburgh, and then took a research fellowship at Stanford University. Her doctorate thesis won the Royal Astronomical Society Michael Penston Thesis Prize. An avid science communicator, she has featured on platforms such as New Scientist, Al Jazeera and PBS ‘Ancient Skies’.

Interests

  • ‘Green’ energy
  • Climate change
  • EDI process improvements
  • Education - responsibilities and influences
  • Evidence based governance
  • Research culture
  • Social change
  • Societal impact of research
  • Systemic bias
  • Young women in STEM