Ancy Anna John

Timeline

E M P L O Y M E N T

Post-Doc (2024 - 2028)
Research Fellow in the Sun, Stars and Exoplanets group, University of Birmingham, UK.
Aim: Develop and refine Radial velocity (RV) extraction and analysis pipelines to improve RV precision, which is key to finding Earth-like Exoplanets.

Post-Doc (2024)
Research Fellow in the Exoplanets group, University of St Andrews, UK.
Aim: Investigate the spectral signature of granulation and super-granulation in the Extremely Precise Radial velocity (EPRV) timeseries.

Research Assistant (2018-2020)
Aryabhatta Research Institute of observational sciencES, India.
Mentor: Dr. Yogesh Chandra Joshi Aim: Photometric and kinematic study of variable stars in open clusters.

E D U C A T I O N

PhD in Astrophysics (2020 - 2024)
University of St Andrews, UK.
Thesis: Yin or Yang: Yin or yang : confronting stellar activity in radial-velocity searches for exo-Earths.
Supervisor: Prof. Andrew Collier Cameron

MSc in Astrophysics (2015 - 2017)
Pondicherry Central University.
Thesis: Global temperature effects of sunspot cycles and proposal of a ‘mini ice age'. Supervisor: Dr. Shincy John

Bsc in Physics (2012 - 2015)
University of Kerala.

Research

I hunt exoplanets using the radial velocity (RV) method, understanding the hide-and-seek between stellar activity and planetary signals.
Based in Birmingham, I am expanding the Multi-Mask Least Squares Deconvolution (MM LSD) pipeline, extracting extremely precise radial velocity (EPRV) measurements to elevate planet detection capabilities.

I lead a dedicated international team of scientists to investigate the spectral signature of super/granulation —stellar surface phenomena driven by convection flows on stars that can affect planet detection— on stars across spectral types.

I developed a pipeline called 'TWEAKS', to disentangle the stellar variability from RV measurements, and push the detection limits to low-mass exoplanets.
As a member of the HARPS-N consortium and the PLATO Stellar Variability Working Group, I contribute to pioneering methodologies that shape exoplanet characterization and stellar activity modelling.

For a full list of publications, here is my ADS Library.

Outreach

I believe science is boundless, and it should be accessible to everyone, regardless of age, race, color, language, gender, or country of origin.
As a scientist, I see it as a fundamental duty to make this a reality. I actively engage with the public, especially the younger generation, to share the frontiers of my research and ignite curiosity.

It brings me joy to chat with primary and secondary school students across the UK, through regular 'I'm a Scientist' sessions. I am also Royal Astronomical Society's STEM Ambassador. Previously, I have worked as a mentor for the 'Astrophysicast' team, a group of young astronomy enthusiasts, focusing on delivering accessible Astronomy outreach events at schools in India.

The above image is me delivering an interactive session, 'Let there be light', at a local pub in St Andrews, as part of the 'Pint of Science 2025'. Here is a glimpse from a seminar at the Dalgety Bay Astronomical Society. I am talking about my first exoplanet discovery. I explained how I used TWEAKS to disentangle the stellar activity and detect the outer, Saturn-like planet CoRoT-7d, orbiting a very active star called CoRoT-7. The existence of this planet was long-debated for more than a decade.

Awards

I won the Bronze medal at the STEM for Britain 2022 national competition, held at the UK Parliament's House of Commons, on 07 March 2022. I presented my PhD research to the Parliamentarians and general public at that event.

I won the 'Best Science' poster prize at the UK Exoplanet Meeting (UKExoM) 2025, for my recent work on studying granulation on a K-type magnetically quiet star. The meeting was held in Leeds.

Contact

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