Pedro Lacerda's home page
E-mail : placerda@strw.leidenuniv.nl
Information
For the past twenty years, I have been employed in academia in five different countries, doing research in astronomy and astrophysics, and teaching mathematics, physics and astronomy.
I am interested in the small bodies of the Solar System, from the comets visiting us from the distant Oort cloud, to the near-Earth asteroids. Most of my research has dealt with studying the physical properties of these objects, seeking clues to the processes that formed our planetary system.
Since 2022, I have worked on a few ESA programs that stimulate the commercial uptake of space based knowledge and technology. I have supported space sector startups (ESA BIC, PT and NL), the transfer of space technology for use in terrestrial applications (ESA Technology Broker, PT and NL), and research-sourced projects to use space knowledge for societal impact (ESA Phi-Lab, NL).
Education
Short CV
- Guest researcher at Leiden Observatory, 2025-now
- Scientific Coordinator of ESA Phi-Lab Netherlands at NL Space Campus, 2024-now
- Member of the Comet Nucleus Science Working Group for the ESA Comet Interceptor mission, 2023-now
- Member of the Institute of Astrophysics and Space Sciences, 2022-now
- Technology Broker at ESA Space Solutions Portugal, 2022-now
- Founder, Researcher, Teacher and Baker at Miolo, 2020-2021
- Assistant Professor (lecturer) at Queen’s University Belfast, UK, 2016-2019
- Max Planck Research Group Leader, MPI for Solar System Research, Germany, 2013-2016
- Michael West Research Fellow, Queen’s University Belfast, UK, 2010-2013
- Royal Society Newton Fellow, Queen’s University Belfast, UK, 2008-2010
- Postdoc researcher, Institute for Astronomy, U. Hawaii, 2006-2008
- Postdoc researcher, Coimbra University, Portugal, 2005-2006
- PhD researcher, Leiden University, Netherlands, 2000-2005
Other Info
Full CV available here.