Katerina Chatziioannou

Katerina Chatziioannou is an Assistant Professor of Physics at the California Institute of Technology and a William H. Hurt Scholar. She holds a faculty position in the Division of Physics, Mathematics and Astronomy, specifically within the Physics department, and is actively involved in multiple major gravitational wave collaborations including the LIGO Scientific Collaboration, LIGO Laboratory, LISA Consortium, NANOGrav Collaboration, Simulating Extreme Spacetimes Collaboration, and Simons Collaboration on Extreme Electrodynamics of Compact Sources.

Dr. Chatziioannou's research revolves around General Relativity and using Gravitational Waves to study the Universe. Her work spans theoretical and observational aspects of gravitational wave astronomy, with particular focus on black hole physics, neutron star physics, and data analysis techniques. She develops methods to extract physical information from gravitational wave signals, studies the properties of compact objects, and investigates fundamental physics through gravitational wave observations. Her research bridges theoretical physics, computational methods, and observational astronomy, with applications to current and future gravitational wave detectors including LIGO, Virgo, and the planned LISA mission.

Analysis of her recent publications reveals significant contributions across multiple frontiers of gravitational wave science. Her work addresses critical challenges in parameter estimation for binary black hole systems, neutron star equation of state constraints, glitch mitigation techniques, and waveform modeling. She has made important contributions to both ground-based (LIGO/Virgo) and space-based (LISA) gravitational wave astronomy, as well as pulsar timing array science through her work with NANOGrav. Her research demonstrates a strong interdisciplinary approach connecting nuclear physics, general relativity, and observational astronomy.

Dr. Chatziioannou has received recognition as a William H. Hurt Scholar, highlighting her contributions to physics research. This prestigious award underscores her standing in the field of gravitational wave astrophysics and theoretical physics.

She leads a vibrant research group at Caltech comprising graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and staff scientists. Her current research group includes graduate students Sophie Hourihane (2020-present), Isaac Legred (2020-present), Simona Miller (2021-present), and Taylor Knapp (2023-present), along with numerous postdoctoral scholars including Patrick Meyers, Aaron Johnson, Javier Roulet, Eliot Finch, Lucy Thomas, Marco Crisostomi, Lisa Drummond, and Sophie Bini. She also mentors undergraduate researchers through programs like the LIGO SURF program, having supervised multiple summer research fellows over the years.

Dr. Chatziioannou teaches several advanced physics courses at Caltech including Physics 106a (Topics in Classical Physics), Physics 129b (Mathematical Methods of Physics, Complex Analysis and Differential Equations), and Physics 236a (General Relativity I), contributing significantly to the education of future physicists and astronomers. Her teaching responsibilities span both undergraduate and graduate levels, reflecting her expertise in theoretical physics and gravitational wave science.