Jessie Christiansen

At-a-Glance

Recipient of the 2018 NASA Exceptional Engineering Achievement Medal for her work on the Kepler planet sample.
Serves as Chief Scientist of the NASA Exoplanet Science Institute at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech).
Member of the NASA Kepler Science Team, earning the NASA Group Achievement Award in 2010.
Announced the discovery of 5 massive exoplanets orbiting the sun-like star K2-138.
Holds a PhD from the University of New South Wales (2007) and a BSc first class honours in Astronomy from the Australian National University.

Biography

Jessie Christiansen is an Australian astrophysicist who serves as the Chief Scientist of the NASA Exoplanet Science Institute at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). She completed a Bachelor of Science (Advanced Studies) in physics and mathematics at Griffith University in 2002, followed by a BSc first class honours in Astronomy at the Australian National University. She earned her PhD from the University of New South Wales in 2007.