Biography

I am Dr Caroline Foster (but most people just call me Caro). I grew up in Quebec (la belle province), Canada. As a professional astronomer, I have spent hundreds of nights observing at some of the best astronomical sites in the world. I use spectroscopy to measure the dynamics of stars in galaxies. With that information, I try to unwind the clock and understand how galaxies formed.

My passion for astronomy was spurred out of my delight for pure physics and maths. I have a rather romantic opinion of those fundamental sciences. In physics, we measure fundamental constants, derive physical laws (often from first principles) and make predictions. Mathematics is the language and foundation of our scientific understanding and it underpins the technological advances of our era.

After a BSc in physics and mathematics and an MSc in astrophysics from Bishop's University (Quebec, Canada), I obtained my PhD at Swinburne University of Technology (Melbourne, Australia) in 2011. After some years working for observatories and supporting telescopes around the world, nowadays I am the ASTRO3D fellow at the University of Sydney. I am also the Australian representative on the European Southern Observatory Users Committee.

Having so far lived in 3 countries, I speak French, English and I am functional in Spanish. When I'm not busy studying galaxies, I enjoy spending time with my family, travelling, running, cycling, board games, reading and sometimes have time for a good hike or rock climbing. I have a blog about the intersection between faith and science through which I hope to encourage positive dialogue.

Caroline identifies as culturally and linguistically diverse.

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