Yanqin Wu

Yanqin Wu is Professor of Astronomy at the University of Toronto, Canada. Wu's career has largely mirrored the developments in the nascent field of extra-solar planets. She has contributed to the understandings of many types of planets, including “hot Jupiters,” “mini-Neptunes,” and “super-Earths.” More recently, she and her collaborator deduced the existence of a new class of planets, the “sub-Earths,” based on data collected by NASA’s Kepler satellite. They believe that these objects are likely the closest extra-solar analogues to our own Earth and therefore hold the most promises for life.

Wu received her Ph.D. from California Institute of Technology. Wu is passionate about teaching and the connection between scientific literacy and citizenship.