Professor Christophe Dumas has been announced as the new Director of the UK Astronomy Technology Centre. He will also take over as head of the Science and Technology Facilities Council's (STFC) Royal Observatory Edinburgh site where the UK ATC is based, alongside the University of Edinburgh's Institute for Astronomy. 

Christophe has a strong background in managing large, complex astronomy projects. He served as the Head of Operations and Observatory Scientist for the Thirty-Meter-Telescope International Observatory currently planned for Hawai'i. Prior to this role, he directed the science operations at the European Southern Observatory's Paranal Observatory in Chile and worked with NASA on several space missions. 

Christophe also has a wealth of research experience with a focus on the formation of our Solar System and its early chemistry. He achieved significant milestones using adaptive optics techniques, including capturing the first image of an exoplanet and detecting the first asteroid moon. In recognition of his contributions to this field, binary asteroid 17246, a member of the Koronis family, is named after him. 

Professor Christophe Dumas, the new Director at UK ATC, said: “I am thrilled to join STFC to lead the UK ATC site in Edinburgh and look forward to working with the internationally renowned team at ROE in developing the next generations of cutting-edge instruments that will explore our close and distant Universe. It will be a fantastic challenge to follow the path of Gillian Wright's extraordinary leadership." 

Christophe will follow in the footsteps of Professor Gillian Wright CBE who has been the Director at UK ATC since 2012,​ overseeing some of the largest, most innovative projects in international astronomy. Including multiple instruments for the Very Large Telescope at the Paranal Observatory (such as KMOS, ERIS-NIX and MOONS) as well as leading the European contribution to the Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI), one of four scientific instruments on board ESA/NASA's James Webb Space Telescope. 

Professor Mark Thomson, STFC Executive Chair, said: “I am delighted that Professor Dumas has agreed to bring his unique scientific leadership experience and deep understanding of astronomical research and development to UK ATC. 

“UK ATC is one of the world's most prestigious astronomical research institutions, set to play an important role in breakthroughs like the first light of the Extremely Large Telescope and the launch of the European Space Agency's LISA mission to uncover the mysteries of the Universe in the coming years.

“Professor Dumas is perfectly placed to build on UK ATC's impressive legacy and ensure the successful completion of these research programmes as well as the launch of exciting new efforts to explore the cosmos." 

Christophe will start at UK ATC in September.