Lisa Kaltenegger

Lisa Kaltenegger serves as Associate Professor in the Department of Astronomy within Cornell University's College of Arts and Sciences, and is the Founding Director of the Carl Sagan Institute (CSI). Her interdisciplinary work bridges astrophysics and astrobiology, focusing on modeling habitable worlds and developing techniques to detect life beyond Earth. She maintains affiliations as Research Associate at Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics and the American Museum of Natural History.

Her research centers on exoplanet atmospheric modeling, biosignature detection, and habitable zone characterization. Kaltenegger pioneered methods for analyzing light fingerprints of alien worlds, creating evolutionary spectra of Earth through geological time to identify life indicators. Her work with NASA's TESS mission and JWST's NIRISS instrument drives observational strategies for future telescopes. She leads the CSI's development of a forensic toolkit for life detection across diverse planetary environments.

Notable publications trends show increasing focus on machine learning applications for exoplanet characterization, temporal biosignatures through Earth's evolutionary history, and specialized detection techniques for challenging environments like volcanic exoplanets and icy worlds. Recent work emphasizes practical observational strategies for JWST and future missions.

Award highlights include:

• Heinz Maier-Leibnitz Prize for Physics (Germany)
• Doppler Prize for Innovation in Science (Austria)
• Beatrice Tinsley Lecturer (Royal Astronomical Society of New Zealand)
• IAU Invited Discourse lecture at General Assembly
• Selection as pioneering woman scientist by Annual Reviews

Kaltenegger mentors numerous graduate students in exoplanet research, with current advisees including Li, Payne, and Gomes-Barrientos. She serves on NASA senior review panels and NSF's Astronomy and Astrophysics Advisory Committee, securing significant research funding for exoplanet science. As CSI Director, she leads interdisciplinary teams developing spectral libraries and observational frameworks for life detection. Her upcoming book 'Alien Earths' (April 2024) synthesizes decades of research on finding life in the cosmos, reflecting her commitment to science communication through IMAX films, TED talks, and public lectures reaching six continents.