William Thompson

University of Victoria is recruiting MSc students for a new research group in astronomy focused on discovering and characterizing exoplanets. The project combines Gaia astrometry , high-contrast imaging , and related techniques such as radial velocities and transits to detect new planets and measure their properties. The research spans several interconnected themes: statistical inference at scale, planet population studies, joint orbit modelling across multiple observing methods, and follow-up imaging of Gaia-discovered planets. Students may also work with the open-source Octofitter package to infer true masses and three-dimensional orbits, or contribute to instrumentation-oriented projects linked to direct imaging of exoplanets. The group is led by Dr. William Thompson in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, with potential co-supervision from Dr. Christian Marois . The advert emphasizes a collaborative environment connected to a large international network and to NRC Herzberg, including access to the Dominion Astrophysical Observatory, the Canadian Astronomy Data Centre, and instrument laboratories. Students may also have opportunities to engage with international teams working on Gemini Planet Imager, JWST programs, and Gaia science. The position is framed for students interested in astronomy, observational exoplanet science, computation, and modern data analysis, with projects tailored to individual interests within the group.