Dr. Merav Opher

Biography

Merav Opher's research interests lie in computational theoretical plasma physics and space astrophysics, specifically focusing on interactions between solar systems and the interstellar medium, solar wind, and shocks in the lower corona. She studies how solar-like stars interact with their surrounding media and how solar systems engage with the local interstellar medium, including the interactions of extra-solar planets with their host stars. Her work explores magnetic disturbances driven by the Sun and their propagation to Earth, utilizing advanced 3D computational models to investigate these phenomena. Dr. Opher has been honored with the prestigious NSF CAREER award and the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) for her studies on shocks in interplanetary space, and she has also received the Mason Emerging Researcher/Scholar/Creator Award. She has a well-established leadership role within the Space Physics and Astronomy community. Merav obtained her Ph.D. from the University of Sao Paulo in 1998 and completed postdoctoral training in the Plasma Group at the Physics Department of UCLA from 1999 to 2001, as well as at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the University of Michigan from 2001 to 2004. She joined Boston University after serving as an associate professor at George Mason University from 2005 to 2010.

Research Interests

Experience