Dr. Shirley Ho

Associate Professor

Biography

Shirley Ho is a Senior Research Scientist at the Simons Foundation's Center for Computational Astrophysics, where she leads the Cosmology and Data Science group. Her research focuses on developing novel machine learning methods to analyze large astrophysical data sets, with the goal of understanding the universe's evolution and addressing fundamental cosmic questions. Ho has a strong background in both astrophysical theory and data science, and her work involves analyzing data from major surveys such as ACT, Euclid, LSST, Simons Observatory, SDSS, and the Roman Space Telescope. She earned her Ph.D. in Astrophysical Sciences from Princeton University in 2008 and her B.S. degrees in Computer Science and Physics from UC Berkeley in 2004. Prior to her current position, Ho held roles at Carnegie Mellon University and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, where she mentored numerous Ph.D. students and postdoctoral researchers. Ho has received several awards for her work, including the Macronix Prize and the Carnegie Science Award.

Research Interests

Experience

Senior Research Scientist
2018-01-01 — Present

Simons Foundation CCA Flatiron Institute • New York, NY

Leads the Cosmology and Data Science group.

Assistant Professor
2011-01-01 — 2016-01-01

Carnegie Mellon University • Pittsburgh, PA

Conducted research and taught courses in astrophysics and statistics.

Senior Scientist
2016-01-01 — Present

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory • Berkeley, CA

Conducts research in astrophysics and mentors students and postdocs.

Awards

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Macronix Prize
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Carnegie Science Award
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Blavatnik National Finalist
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EPS Giuseppe Vanna Cocconi Prize