CV
Education
- PhD in Astrophysics, University of Bristol (Jan 2023 - Present).
- Research Focus: Emission Spectroscopy and Eclipse Mapping of Transiting Exoplanet Atmospheres with JWST and Ariel.
- Supervisor: Dr Hannah Wakeford.
- MPhys Physics with Astrophysics, University of Leeds (Sep 2018 - Jul 2022).
- Grade: First Class (Average Mark - 87).
- MPhys Project: Studying the Invisible in the Visible: An Optical Catalogue and Pilot Survey of the Multiplicity of Massive Young Stellar Objects (MYSOs) using Gaia.
- MPhys Project Supervisor: Professor René Oudmaijer.
Research Positions
- ESA Archival Research Visitor, European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC, Oct - Dec 2024).
- Research Focus: Assessing the Eclipse Mapping Capabilities of Ariel through JWST Archival Studies.
- Hosts: Dr Maximillian Günther & Dr Theresa Lüftinger.
Grants, Scholarships, and Awards
- Peter Bye Travel Bursary, University of Bristol (Jul 2025).
- Competitively awarded to fund conference travel (£500).
- ESA Archival Research Visitor Funding, European Space Agency (Sep - Dec 2024).
- Competitively awarded and fully funded (~£10,000).
- Bolton Prize in Astrophysics, University of Leeds (2022).
- Awarded to the student, on a Physics with Astrophysics programme, achieving the highest classification average.
- Scholarship of Academic Excellence, University of Leeds (2018 - 2022).
- Awarded to students achieving A*A*A or higher at A level, and thereafter maintaining a first class average. £1000 per year.
Conferences, Summer Schools, and Workshops
Conferences
- Exoclimes VII Conference, Université de Montréal, Canada (Jul 2025).
- Contributed poster.
- UK Exoplanet Meeting (UKExoM) 2025, University of Leeds, UK (Apr 2025).
- Contributed poster.
- Exoplanets V Conference, Leiden, Netherlands (Jun 2024).
- Contributed talk.
- UK Exoplanet Meeting (UKExoM) 2024, University of Birmingham, UK (Apr 2024).
- Contributed talk.
- ExoClimes VI Conference, University of Exeter, UK (Jun 2023).
- Contributed poster.
Summer Schools
- ARES IV (Ariel Summer School), Frèjus, France (Jun 2023).
- ExoSLAM I Summer School, University of Exeter, UK (Jun 2023).
Workshops
- BOWIE+ Collaboration JWST Proposal Workshop, University of Bristol, UK (Sep 2025).
- Session Chair.
- BOWIE+ Collaboration JWST Proposal Workshop, University of Leeds, UK (Apr 2025).
- Session Chair.
- BOWIE+ Collaboration JWST Proposal Workshop, University of Bristol, UK (Sep 2023).
- Local Organising Committee (LOC).
- BOWIE+ Collaboration JWST Proposal Workshop, University of Oxford, UK (Mar 2023).
Talks, Seminars, and Posters
Seminars
- ECR Highlights Seminar, BOWIE+ Online Seminar Series (Nov 2025).
- Astrophysics Seminar, University of Leicester (Mar 2025).
- “Eclipse mapping of exoplanet atmospheres: today with JWST, one day with Ariel”.
- Breakfast Seminar, ESA ESTEC (Dec 2024).
- “Mapping the Dayside Atmospheres of Transiting Exoplanets: today with JWST, one day with Ariel”.
- ExoCoffee, Max Planck Institute for Astronomy (MPIA).
- Summary of “JWST-TST DREAMS: Non-Uniform Dayside Emission for WASP-17b from MIRI/LRS” (Nov 2024).
- Summary of “Eclipse Mapping with Ariel: Future Prospects for a Population-Level Mapping Survey” (Feb 2026).
- Exoplanets & Discs Meeting, University of Amsterdam (Nov 2024).
- “A Tale of Two Models: the limitations of 1D modelling and need for 3D modelling of exoplanet atmospheres in the era of JWST”.
- Exoplanet Lunch Meeting, University of Leiden (Nov 2024).
- “A Tale of Two Models: the limitations of 1D modelling and need for 3D modelling of exoplanet atmospheres in the era of JWST”.
- Exoplanet Seminar, University of Oxford (Sep 2024).
- “From telescope to paper: a crash-course on JWST data reduction, modelling, and interpretation”.
Talks
- UKExoM 2026 (Invited Highlight Talk, Apr 2026).
- “Diving through the Dynamics of Exoplanet Atmospheres with 3D Eclipse Mapping”.
- Ariel Open Conference (Contributed Talk, Mar 2026).
- “Eclipse Mapping with Ariel: Future Prospects for a Population-Level Mapping Survey”.
- Madrid Area Exoplanet Science Meeting (Invited Talk, Online, Dec 2024).
- Exoplanets V (Contributed Talk, Jun 2024).
- “A comprehensive 3D eclipse map of the hot Jupiter WASP-17b”.
- UKExoM 2024 (Contributed Talk, Apr 2024).
- “The First Eclipse Map of the Hot Jupiter WASP-17b”.
Posters
- ExoClimes VII (Jul 2025).
- “A Population-Level Mapping Survey of Hot Jupiter Atmospheric Dynamics with Ariel”.
- UKExoM 2025 (Apr 2025).
- “A Population-Level Mapping Survey of Hot Jupiter Atmospheric Dynamics with Ariel”.
- ExoClimes VI (Jun 2023).
- “MIRI/LRS Dayside Emission Spectrum of the Hot Jupiter WASP-17b”.
Teaching and Outreach
- Wales & West Spacefest, Invited Public Outreach Talk, Bristol Aerospace Museum (Mar 2026).
- “Diving Through Exoplanet Atmospheres”.
- Institute of Physics (IoP) Volunteer, Wrexham Eisteddfod (Aug 2025).
- 2 days volunteering with the IoP at the Welsh National Eisteddfod, Europe’s largest cultural event.
- Teaching Support Assistant, University of Bristol (Jan 2024 - Apr 2025).
- PHYS10600 Stars & Planets, 1st Year undergraduate course - 70hrs/semester, ∼ 120-140 students.
- Pint of Science, Invited Public Outreach Talk, Bristol (May 2024).
- “Looking on the bright side: mapping dayside exoplanet atmospheres with the James Webb Space Telescope”.
- EPQ Interview (Feb 2024).
- “What aspect/s of US and UK research into exoplanets offers the most potential for future exoplanet research?”
- Filton Avenue Primary School Space Week Talk (Oct 2023).
- “Exploring the Universe”.
Collaborations
- JWST-TST DREAMS: Member.
- Ariel Mission Consortium: Member.
- STARGATE: Member.
- BOWIE+: Member, Steering Committee Mar 2025 – Present.
- BOWIE-ALIGN: Member.
- JWST TRAPPIST-1 e/b Program: Member, Co-I.
Observing Programmes
PI Programmes
- JWST GO 5687: Unlocking New Dimensions in Eclipse Mapping with KELT-8b, PI: D. Valentine.
- Small Programme, 26.1 hrs, 2 MIRI/LRS Eclipses.
Co-I Programmes
- JWST GO 8309: It’s (poly)Morphin’ Time! Solving the quartz quandary of WASP-17b, PIs: E. Mullens & S. Moran.
- Small Programme, 37.8 hrs, 2+1 MIRI/LRS Transits+Eclipse.
- JWST GO 7849: Meeting their Match: Measuring Cloudy Hot Jupiter Counterparts to Understand the Silicate Cloud Regime with JWST/MIRI, PIs: S. Moran & L. Alderson.
- Small Programme, 46.1 hrs, 4 MIRI/LRS Transits.
- JWST GO 6978: The dayside of the coolest ultra-hot Jupiter, KELT-20b, resolved with eclipse mapping, PIs: J. Wardenier, A. Bernier & M. Hammond.
- Small Programme, 16.8 hrs, 1 NIRSpec/G395H Eclipse.
- JWST GO 6456/9256: Using stellar contamination proxy TRAPPIST-1 b to search for an atmosphere on TRAPPIST-1e, PIs: N. Allen & N. Espinoza.
- Large Programme, 52.1+76.7 hrs, 15 NIRSpec/PRISM Transits.
- JWST GO 4105: Not Your Normal Neptune: Exploring the Chemical Processes at Play in HAT-P-11b, PIs: L. Alderson & C. Fairman.
- Small Programme, 14.3 hrs, 2 NIRSpec/G395H Transits.
Publications
First Author
- JWST-TST DREAMS: 3D Eclipse Mapping of WASP-17b with NIRISS/SOSS, NIRSpec/G395H, and MIRI/LRS
- Valentine, D., et al., in prep.
- Eclipse Mapping with Ariel: Future Prospects for a Population-Level Mapping Survey
- Valentine, D., et al., 2025, MNRAS, 544, 3641.
- JWST-TST DREAMS: Non-Uniform Dayside Emission for WASP-17b from MIRI/LRS
- Valentine, D., et al., 2024, AJ, 168, 123.
Co-Author
- BOWIE-ALIGN: Exploring degeneracies in the muted transmission spectrum of the aligned hot Jupiter NGTS-2b with NIRSpec/G395H
- Fairman, C., et al., 2026, MNRAS, TBC, TBC.
- BOWIE-ALIGN: Sub-solar C/O ratio and metallicity atmosphere of the misaligned hot Jupiter HAT-P-30b
- Claringbold, A., et al., 2026, MNRAS, 546, 143.
- JWST TRAPPIST-1 e/b Program: Motivation and first observations
- Allen, N., et al., 2026, AJ, 171, 105.
- JWST-TST DREAMS: The Nightside Emission and Chemistry of WASP-17b
- Lustig-Yaeger, J., et al., 2025, AJ, 994, L4.
- JWST-TST DREAMS: Sulfur dioxide in the atmosphere of the Neptune-mass planet HAT-P-26\,b from NIRSpec G395H transmission spectroscopy
- Gressier, A., et al., 2025, AJ, 170, 292.
- BOWIE-ALIGN: weak spectral features in KELT-7b’s JWST NIRSpec/G395H transmission spectrum imply a high cloud deck or a low-metallicity atmosphere
- Ahrer, E., et al., 2025, MNRAS, 543, 2442.
- JWST-TST DREAMS: Secondary Atmosphere Constraints for the Habitable Zone Planet TRAPPIST-1e
- Glidden, A., et al., 2025, ApJ, 990, L53.
- JWST-TST DREAMS: NIRSpec/PRISM Transmission Spectroscopy of the Habitable Zone Planet TRAPPIST-1 e
- Espinoza, N., et al., 2025, ApJ, 990, L52.
- BOWIE-ALIGN: Sub-stellar metallicity and carbon depletion in the aligned TrES-4b with JWST NIRSpec transmission spectroscopy
- Meech, A., et al., 2025, MNRAS, 539, 1381.
- JWST-TST DREAMS: A Precise Water Abundance for Hot Jupiter WASP-17b from the NIRISS SOSS Transmission Spectrum
- Louie, D., et al., 2025, AJ, 169, 86.
- JWST-TST DREAMS: A Super-Solar Metallicity in WASP-17 b’s Day-side Atmosphere from NIRISS SOSS Eclipse Spectroscopy
- Gressier, A., et al., 2025, AJ, 169, 57.
- BOWIE-ALIGN: JWST reveals hints of planetesimal accretion and complex sulphur chemistry in the atmosphere of the misaligned hot Jupiter WASP-15b
- Kirk, J., et al., 2025, MNRAS, 537, 3037.
- BOWIE-ALIGN: A JWST comparative survey of aligned vs misaligned hot Jupiters to test the dependence of atmospheric composition on migration history
- Kirk, J., et al., 2024, RASTI, 3, 691.
- JWST-TST DREAMS: Quartz Clouds in the Atmosphere of WASP-17b
- Grant, D., et al., 2023, ApJL, 956, L32.
- Exo-TiC/ExoTiC-MIRI: ExoTiC-MIRI v1.0.0
- Grant, D., Valentine, D., Wakeford, H.R., 2023, Zenodo, v1.0.0.
- JWST-TST Proper Motions: I. High-Precision NIRISS Calibration and LMC Kinematics
- Libralato, M., 2023, AJ, 950, 101.
