Postdoc Profile: Luis Welbanks

National Postdoc Appreciation Week (NPAW) celebrates the significant contributions postdocs make to research and discovery, both university and nationwide. This Postdoc Profile is a part of a series to commemorate NPAW which takes place from September 15 to 23, 2022. 

Q: What is your name?

Luis Welbanks

Q: Where are you from?

Mexico City, Mexico

Q: Where do you work at ASU?

School of Earth and Space Exploration

Q: Where did you earn your doctorate?

PhD, Astronomy, University of Cambridge, Institute of Astronomy

Q: What does your research focus on?

I am interested in studying the atmospheres of exoplanets to investigate what they are made of. I want to use this information to understand where planets formed, how they formed, and eventually whether we are alone in the universe.

Q: Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

I did my undergrad and master's in Calgary Alberta, Canada. I have experienced temperatures lower than -40 C (-40 F), so with my move to Arizona I am finally able to test the same temperatures but in the positives! I like the collegial environment of ASU and its exoplanet research group.

Q: What are your career goals? 

Research exoplanets for a living and teach others about them.