Pradip Gatkine

Professor Gatkine is an observational astrophysicist and instrument builder, appointed to UCLA Physics and Astronomy in 2024. He received his PhD from the University of Maryland College Park in 2020, and afterward was a NASA Hubble Prize Postdoctoral Fellow at Caltech. He is interested in the exciting new field of astrophotonics, and is currently developing on-chip integrated astrophotonic spectrographs for the purpose of measuring the cosmic dynamics of far-away objects, from exoplanets and their atmospheres to distant galaxies. The cutting-edge technology will lead to the miniaturization of astronomical spectrometers from the size of a car to the size of a shoebox! Outside of work, he enjoys exploring the world, painting pots, and taking scenic evening walks. He is also interested in improving preventive healthcare in low-resource countries.