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Zoe Ko

View full CV in PDF form here.

zko2@jh.edu · ORCID: 0000-0002-4962-2543

Education

  • Johns Hopkins University
    M.A. Physics (2026)
    Physics and Astronomy Ph.D. Student
    2024 – Present
  • University of California, Berkeley
    B.A. Astrophysics, B.A. Data Science
    2019 – 2023
    High Distinction in General Scholarship (magna cum laude equivalent)

Research Experience

  • Lawrence Livermore National Lab, NASA Pandora Team
    Graduate Intern | Advisor: Peter McGill | March 2026 – Present
    • Develop and apply statistical methods for atmospheric characterization with a focus on mitigating stellar contamination with data from the NASA Pandora mission.
  • Johns Hopkins University
    Research Assistant | Advisor: Néstor Espinoza | August 2024 – Present
    • Implemented a Gaussian Process-aided atmospheric retrieval framework to mitigate stellar contamination in transmission spectroscopy.
    • Applied retrieval framework to constrain the atmospheric properties of a gas giant orbiting an M dwarf to better understand giant planet formation around low mass stars.
  • California Institute of Technology LIGO Lab
    Research Intern | Advisor: Katerina Chatziioannou | June 2022 – January 2024
    • Developed and implemented a hierarchical Bayesian inference framework to analyze binary black hole spin distributions using LIGO gravitational wave data.
    • Generated mock binary black hole populations with different component spin parameters to quantify how much spin information is extractable from observed effective spins.
  • University of California, Berkeley SETI Research Center
    Research Intern | Advisor: Howard Isaacson | June 2021 – January 2023
    • Developed a laser detection algorithm to search for potential technosignatures in optical stellar spectra and applied algorithm to over 1,000 spectra of nearby stars to set detection limits.
  • Pennsylvania State University
    Research Assistant | Advisor: Ian Czekala | September 2019 – February 2023
    • Designed a pipeline from scratch to detect radial velocity variations through cross-correlation techniques and applied pipeline to 28 candidate binary star systems.

Awards and Fellowships

  • William H. Miller III Graduate Fellowship
    August 2024 – August 2025
    Awarded a 12-month fellowship from Johns Hopkins to support independent graduate research.
  • Fulbright Scholarship Award
    September 2023 – July 2024
    Designed and taught an English language curriculum for seventh and tenth grade students in Thailand.

Publications

  • Z. Ko, N. Espinoza, A. Jordán, E. M. Bryant, M. Schlecker, M. J. Hobson, R. Brahm, R. Burn, & T. Henning. 2026, "JWST Transmission Spectroscopy of TOI-3235 b: Constraints on Giant Planet Formation around M1 Dwarfs amid Stellar Contamination," AJ, under review.
  • S. J. Miller, Z. Ko, T. Callister, & K. Chatziioannou. 2024, "Gravitational waves carry information beyond effective spin parameters but it is hard to extract," Phys. Rev. D, 109, 104036
  • A. Zuckerman, Z. Ko, H. Isaacson, S. Croft, D. Price, M. Lebofsky, & A. Siemion. 2023, "The Breakthrough Listen Search for Intelligent Life: A Laser Search Pipeline for the Automated Planet Finder," AJ, 165, 114

Conference Talks and Posters

  • Z. Ko, N. Espinoza, A. Jordan. Probing the Atmospheres of Giant Planets around M Stars Amid Stellar Contamination, Invited Speaker, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile, March 2026. (Oral Presentation)
  • Z. Ko, N. Espinoza, A. Jordan. Characterizing Giant Planets around M Dwarfs amid Stellar Contamination with Gaussian Processes, Invited Speaker, Pontifical Catholic University, Santiago, Chile, March 2026. (Oral Presentation)
  • Z. Ko, N. Espinoza, A. Jordan. Unveiling the Atmospheres of Giant Planets around M Stars Amid Stellar Contamination, Invited Speaker, Universidad Diego Portales, Santiago, Chile, March 2026. (Oral Presentation)
  • Z. Ko, N. Espinoza, A. Jordan. Mitigating Stellar Contamination in JWST Transit Data with Gaussian Processes, Exojamboree, Baltimore, MD, November 2025. (Oral Presentation)
  • Z. Ko, N. Espinoza, A. Jordan. A Gaussian Process Framework for Exoplanet Atmospheric Retrievals, Exoclimes V, Montreal, QC, Canada, July 2025. (Poster)
  • Z. Ko, N. Espinoza, A. Jordan. Gaussian Process Retrievals for TOI-3235b, Emerging Researchers in Exoplanet Science Symposium X, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, June 2025. (Oral Presentation)
  • Z. Ko, S. J. Miller, K. Chatziioannou. Analyzing the Effective and Component Spin Distributions of Binary Black Hole Mergers, American Physical Society April Meeting, Minneapolis, MN, April 2023. (Oral Presentation)
  • Z. Ko, H. Isaacson, A. Zuckerman, S. Croft. Search for Laser Emission Lines with the Automated Planet Finder Telescope, American Astronomical Society Meeting, Seattle, WA, January 2023. (Poster)
  • Z. Ko, H. Isaacson, A. Zuckerman. Search for Laser Emission Lines with the Automated Planet Finder Telescope, AbSciCon, Atlanta, GA, May 2022. (Poster)
  • Z. Ko, H. Isaacson, A. Zuckerman, S. Croft. Search for Laser Emission Lines with the APF, Order of the Octopus, Virtual, August 2021. (Poster)

Skills

  • Programming: Advanced proficiency in Python (NumPy, SciPy, pandas, matplotlib, Astropy, etc.), Java, R.
  • Statistical Modeling: Extensive experience with Bayesian inference frameworks (PyMC, emcee, dynesty) and Gaussian process modeling (tinygp, george, celerite).
  • Languages: Native fluency in English and Mandarin; strong proficiency in Spanish and Thai.

Teaching and Outreach

  • STEM Mentor at learnSTEM Research Mentorship Program
    March 2026 – Present
    Mentor a high school student in a 9-week program to complete an independent research project.
  • Physics and Astronomy Peer Mentor at Johns Hopkins
    August 2025 – Present
    Advise physics and astronomy undergraduate students academically and professionally.
  • Peer Tutor at the Berkeley Student Learning Center
    August 2022 – May 2023
    Provided weekly tutoring services for introductory astrophysics courses.
  • Research Mentor at the Berkeley Undergraduate Lab
    August 2021 – May 2022
    Mentored five undergraduates through a year-long independent research project on binary star systems.
  • Student Mentor and Outreach Director of Berkeley Engineers and Mentors
    January 2020 – May 2023
    Led weekly science labs at elementary and middle schools in Oakland and coordinated outreach events.