Barbara Ercolano

Barbara Ercolano is a Professor of Theoretical Astrophysics at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (LMU), holding her position since 2010. Since December 2024, she serves as a Max Planck Fellow at the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics (MPE), collaborating with Prof. Caselli's 'Astrochemistry' group to study protoplanetary disks and exoplanet formation. She leads the DFG Research Unit Transition Discs (RUTD) and coordinates exoplanet research in the Cluster of Excellence ORIGINS.

• Education: PhD from University College London (UCL), followed by postdoctoral research at Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, STFC Advanced Fellowship at Cambridge and UCL, and a brief tenure as Lecturer at the University of Exeter.

Her research focuses on star/planet formation, protoplanetary disks, and exoplanet environments, integrating magneto-hydrodynamic modeling with astrochemical studies. She developed the MOCASSIN code for ionized nebula simulations, recognized by the 2010 Fowler Prize.

• Awards: Fowler Prize for Astronomy (2010), Max Planck Fellowship (2024).

Collaborations include the CAS group at MPE and leadership in DFG-funded projects. She oversees interdisciplinary efforts in the ORIGINS Cluster, bridging astrophysics with planetary science.