Barbara Ercolano

Barbara Ercolano is a Professor of Theoretical Astrophysics at Ludwig-Maximilians University (LMU), Munich. She leads a German Science Foundation (DFG)-funded Research Unit studying Transition Discs as probes of planet formation. She is also a member of the HITS Scientific Advisory Board (as of June 2024).

Education & Career:

• PhD in Astrophysics from University College London (UCL), UK
• Postdoctoral research at UCL, Harvard & Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (USA), and University of Cambridge (UK)
• Lecturer in Astrophysics at University of Exeter (UK) prior to her current position

Research Focus: Her work centers on the interconnected processes of star and planet formation, particularly the role of protoplanetary discs. She investigates how stellar radiation influences disc dynamics and planetary evolution, leveraging computational methods and radiative transfer simulations. Her current DFG project explores transition discs as critical observational laboratories for understanding exoplanet diversity.

Grants & Collaborations: Leads a multi-institutional DFG Research Unit (website: Transition Discs Project). Her work integrates theoretical modeling with observational data to bridge gaps between star formation and planetary system evolution.