Edward Gillen

Dr Edward Gillen is a Reader in Astrophysics at Queen Mary University of London, affiliated with the School of Physical and Chemical Sciences and the Centre for Fundamental Physics. He specializes in exoplanet research, stellar evolution, and planetary habitability. His work involves analyzing data from ground and space-based observatories, including the Next Generation Transit Survey (NGTS), ARIEL, and PLATO missions.

Education: PhD from the University of Oxford (2016), postdoctoral research at the University of Cambridge, and a Winton Exoplanet Fellowship (2018–present).

Research Interests: Detecting exoplanets in young clusters, calibrating stellar evolution via rotation/activity, and assessing exoplanet habitability. Current projects focus on the NGTS clusters survey to study young stars and planets in open clusters aged 1 Myr–2 Gyr. He also explores photosynthetic strategies for extraterrestrial life under non-Sun-like stars.

Grants & Awards: ERC Starting Grant (2023), Leverhulme Trust funding (2023–2026), and the Winton Exoplanet Fellowship. Active in international consortia like NGTS and ARIEL.

Labs/Teams: Leads the NGTS clusters survey team and collaborates on the Astronomy Unit at Queen Mary. Supervises students in exoplanet research and observational astronomy.