Christopher Monaghan

Chris began his research at the University of Montreal in May 2024, under the supervision of Björn Benneke.

His research focuses on the study of rocky exoplanet atmospheres and compositions using observations of their secondary eclipses taken by the JWST and Spitzer. He is particularly interested in furthering the search for extrasolar life and locating potentially habitable planets.

Chris graduated with first class honours from the University of Calgary in astrophysics during 2023. He previously researched under the Program for Undergraduate Research Experience in 2022, where he was involved in discovering 20 ultraviolet-emitting supernova remnants in the Andromeda Galaxy. Furthermore, he wrote his undergraduate thesis on the evolution of carbon based molecules in star forming regions by analyzing the astrochemical history of IRAS-20126.