Congratulations on receiving the Oscar II scholarship for your thesis. How does it feel?
"I am truly happy and proud. I have always felt that the work I have been doing during my PhD contributes to the field in a meaningful way, but receiving this kind of recognition from outside the field makes it even more special."
"On a personal level, it means a great deal. I grew up in a small village in Switzerland and am the first in my family to pursue a career in academia. The journey has not always been straightforward, which makes this moment particularly meaningful."
"I also hope it can serve as a reminder that there is no single path into science, and that people from different backgrounds have a place in it."
Could you tell us about your research?
"My research focuses on the atmospheres of planets beyond our Solar System, in particular ultra-hot Jupiters. By analysing starlight that passes through a planet’s atmosphere, we can detect chemical “fingerprints” of different elements and molecules."
"In my thesis, I studied the planet WASP-189 b, more than 300 light-years away, and detected several elements – including the first confirmed detection of titanium oxide using transmission spectroscopy."
"These extreme planets are ideal for this type of research, but they are also rare. That is why I have also started exploring how we can study smaller and cooler planets with next-generation telescopes."
What inspired you to focus on this field?
"I did not originally plan to work in astronomy. I became interested during my studies, when someone took the time to explain their research to me. I was fascinated by the idea that we can study planets so far away using only light."
"With new telescopes, such as the Extremely Large Telescope, we will soon be able to study a much wider range of planets and learn more about how they form and evolve."
How has your PhD journey been, and what are your plans moving forward?
"My PhD has been one of the best times of my life. I had the opportunity to be part of building a new research group from the ground up, which created a dynamic and collaborative environment with a lot of freedom to explore ideas."
"I owe a great deal to my supervisor Associate senior lecturer Jens Hoeijmakers and my colleagues at the Division of Astrophysics, for making this such a formative and positive experience."
"I am currently an independent Research Fellow at the European Southern Observatory in Garching near Munich, Germany, where I work on how we can overcome the challenges of studying smaller and cooler planets in the era of the Extremely Large Telescope."
"Looking ahead, I want to build on this, continuing to ask more ambitious questions and push the boundaries of what we can observe and understand about planetary atmospheres, and ultimately how they came to be."
About the Oscar II scholarship
The Oscar II Scholarship is awarded annually by Lund University following consultation with the faculty boards. According to established practice, the scholarships are conferred on theses presented during the past two years that are judged to be the best within their respective fields.
At the Faculty of Science, the scholarship is awarded to Bibiana Prinoth for her thesis “High-resolution Transmission Spectroscopy of Gas Giant Atmospheres”. In addition to the honour, Bibiana Prinoth receives SEK 6,000.