About the author
Francesca Figueras is a professor in the Department of Quantum Physics and Astrophysics, a researcher for the Gaia group at our institute, and was elected in 2016 as the first female president of the Spanish Astronomy Society (SEA). Her specialty is framed in the field of astrophysics, in the study of the origin and evolution of the Milky Way. Within the Gaia group, she has participated among others in the study and validation of the mission’s data, and in the working groups on simulations and photometry.
She has supervised 9 doctoral theses in astrophysics and has published more than 100 articles in international journals. She regularly gives lectures and talks, she has participated in debates and round tables and has appeared in various media.