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New Chair for UCL Space Research Domain

18 September 2024

UCL's Research Domains, cross-disciplinary networks established to foster and support collaboration, are pleased to announce the appointment of Doctor Ralph Schoenrich as the new Chair of the Space Domain.

Photo of Professor Ralph Schoenrich

We are pleased to welcome Dr Ralph Schoenrich as the new Space Domain Chair. Ralph is Associate Professor in the Department of Space and Climate Physics and joins Professor Victor Buchli, Space Domain Co-Chair, and Dr Anna Parkin, Research Coordinator: Space, to lead the next stage in the journey of the Space Domain.

Ralph’s research focuses on the Milky Way and other spiral galaxies. His group uses modern satellite missions (e.g. Gaia) and ground-based survey. The group studies how spiral galaxies work and evolve, on the structure, chemical evolution, and history of our galaxy in particular (on the Gaia satellite mission), and on the nature of dark matter. After degrees in economics and in physics at LMU Munich, and a PhD funded by a Max-Planck IMPRS Fellowship, Ralph spent two years on a Hubble Fellowship in the United States. Before building his group at UCL, Ralph spent several years as Senior Researcher, College Lecturer and Royal Society University Research Fellow in Oxford.

Dr Schoenrich said: “The Space Domain is key to growing UCL’s innovation potential and leadership in international space research, and in extending our collaborations across the UK space sector. It is an honour to join the excellent team and to help grow and achieve our ambitions."