Dr. Anna Childs is a Postdoctoral Researcher under Chao-Chin Yang at the University of Alabama. She is an astronomer whose research bridges planet formation and stellar dynamics, specializing in the formation of terrestrial and circumbinary planets, the evolution of binary star populations, and the dynamical environments that shape planetary systems. She applies artificial intelligence techniques to mine observational data for binary stars and the planets that orbit them, while also developing theoretical and numerical models of terrestrial planet formation around M-dwarfs and binaries, investigating the role of giant planets in shaping planetary architectures, and exploring how stellar encounters impact planet survival. In addition, she has contributed to the development of widely used astrophysical codes, expanding their capabilities for studying planet formation and binary evolution.
Timeline
- 2025—present: Postdoctoral Researcher, University of Alabama
- 2022—2025: Postdoctoral Researcher, CIERA, Northwestern University
- 2017—2022: Ph.D., Astronomy, University of Nevada, Las Vegas
- 2015—2017: M.S., Physics, University of Nevada, Las Vegas
- 2009—2014: B.S., Mathematics, University of Nevada, Las Vegas