Abraham Loeb

Abraham (Avi) Loeb is the Frank B. Baird, Jr. Professor of Science at Harvard University and a bestselling author. He leads the Institute for Theory and Computation (ITC) at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics and heads the Galileo Project, dedicated to scientifically investigating unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP). Loeb's research spans black holes, cosmology, and the search for extraterrestrial life. He earned his PhD in Physics from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem at age 24 and has held distinguished roles, including Chair of Harvard's Department of Astronomy (2011–2020) and Founding Director of the Black Hole Initiative (2016–2021).

His awards include fellowships from the American Academy of Arts & Sciences and the American Physical Society. Notably, TIME named him one of the 25 most influential people in space in 2012, and he ranked #3 in global astronomy research impact (ScholarGPS, 2024). Loeb has authored 8 books, including Extraterrestrial (2022) and Interstellar (2023), and over 1,000 papers with an h-index of 132. He has advised NASA and the White House, and his work bridges astrophysics with public discourse on cosmic exploration.

Loeb's current projects include leading the Galileo Project’s observational campaigns and exploring interstellar objects like 'Oumuamua. His grants and collaborations span institutions like the Breakthrough Prize Foundation, where he directed science initiatives. He advocates for curiosity-driven research and the societal implications of discovering extraterrestrial technology.