[1] She chairs the NuSTAR Starburst and Local Group science working group, which observes seven nearby galaxies[1] and uses high-energy X-rays to search for and take pictures of the densest, hottest and most energetic regions in the universe.
This work is carried out using surveys by space-based x-ray, UV and infrared observatories, alongside ground-based telescopes.
She is also the Chief Scientist for the Physics of the Cosmos (PCOS) programme,[1] NASA's high energy astrophysics and cosmology programme, and is also heavily involved in future missions as a research scientist at NASA, including co-chairing a science panel for the ESA Athena mission due for launch in 2028.
She graduated from her Bachelor of Science in physics and mathematics[1] magna cum laude, from Drake University (Des Moines, Iowa).
In 2007, she won the American Astronomical Society's Annie Jump Cannon Award, which recognizes women for their outstanding research in astronomy, for her X-ray investigations of distant galaxies.