About

Sofia Gallego

I study how galaxies and the gas between them evolve. Around that work, other questions keep growing: how people learn, how machines reason, how different cultures read the sky.

Research

My research follows galaxies in the early Universe and the gas that connects them. During my PhD at ETH Zurich I developed a stacking technique for MUSE observations to detect the faint filaments of the cosmic web in Lyman-alpha emission, and used the same data to constrain the cosmic ultraviolet background. At Caltech I studied a protocluster at cosmic noon with KCWI and HST, and at Université Paris Cité I worked on gas kinematics, AGN-driven outflows and intracluster light in dense environments.

Research and publications →

CosmoVentures

In Paris I founded CosmoVentures, a studio where that scientific training meets other fields: scientific consulting and R&D for companies and media, workshops, games, and independent research on AI safety. I am part of the Turing Frontier Fellows.

CosmoVentures →

Cosmovisions

Cosmovisions is the thread that runs through much of this: conversations between today’s astronomy and Indigenous views of the cosmos. It takes shape as writing, apps, creative work and talks, and it is rooted in the skies of northern Chile, where I grew up.

Stage

As a singer and actress, I have performed in musicals, operas and plays since childhood. In 2007 I took part in an international choral festival in Tarragona, Spain, with the university choir. As a violinist, I toured Europe with my school orchestra and competed in a national violin contest in 2001. Over the years I have performed with the Universidad de La Serena Symphonic Orchestra, the university orchestra in Santiago and various ensembles.

Art → Events →

Writing

Two books are written and now going through editing: The Companions, and Anara, Weaver of the Universe, a book for children. More are taking shape.

Read excerpts →

Path

  1. La Serena · SantiagoAstronomy studies, and lyrical singing at the Institute of Music of the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile.
  2. ETH ZurichPhD: the cosmic web in Lyman-alpha emission and the cosmic ultraviolet background.
  3. CaltechPostdoctoral research on a protocluster at cosmic noon.
  4. Université Paris CitéResearch on gas and AGN activity in dense environments.
  5. ParisCosmoVentures: consulting, education, games and AI safety research.

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