If you would like to be added to the directory or need to make a change, please contact us.
I am an Assistant Research Physicist at the Space Sciences Laboratory (SSL) of the University of California, Berkeley. I lead FOXSI-5 (Focusing Optics X-ray Solar Imager), a NASA sounding rocket mission designed to capture high-resolution X-ray observations of solar flares, and serve as Instrument Lead for SHARP/PADRE, a CubeSat mission focused on understanding the early phases of large flares. My research combines advanced instrumentation development with multi-wavelength observations to investigate the physical processes that trigger and power solar eruptions.
I am originally from Colombia, where I earned my Master’s in Astronomy at the Universidad Nacional de Colombia before completing my Ph.D. in Physics at UC Berkeley in 2022. After my Ph.D., I stayed at SSL as a postdoctoral researcher, working at the interface of solar physics, X-ray instrumentation, and flare forecasting. I also collaborate as a Co-Investigator on several heliophysics missions with NASA centers, U.S. universities, and international partners.
In addition to my research, I am committed to education, mentorship, and community building. I chair the Education and Public Outreach Committee of the Solar Physics Division of the American Astronomical Society, mentor undergraduate and graduate students in the U.S. and in Colombia, and actively participate in initiatives such as Clubes de Ciencia Colombia, ScienteLab, and the RECA network to promote science as a professional path for young people. I have also helped organize major international scientific meetings, including recently the IAU Symposium 400 and the SPHERE-4 Workshop at Berkeley.
My work is driven by two passions: advancing the frontiers of solar physics through innovative instrumentation and fostering the next generation of scientists through mentorship, education, and international collaboration.
