Will Handley is an Associate Professor at the Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge. His interdisciplinary research weaves together theory, observation, and statistical inference to tackle fundamental questions in cosmology and particle physics.

Dr Handley's work focuses on fundamental questions in our universe, from the nature of dark energy and dark matter to gravitational physics. To address these questions, he develops advanced artificial intelligence and Bayesian statistical methods. His research creates computational tools that help scientists analyse complex data and test fundamental theories against observation.

He has created widely-used software packages adopted by research groups worldwide, working at the intersection of AI and modern cosmology. More details about his research can be found at the Handley Research Group webpage.

Nikku Madhusudhan is a Professor of Astrophysics and Exoplanetary Science at the University of Cambridge's Institute of Astronomy. Renowned for pioneering atmospheric retrieval methods for exoplanets, his recent work identified Hycean worlds—planets with ocean-covered surfaces and hydrogen-rich atmospheres.

In 2023, he led the first discovery of carbon-bearing molecules in a possible Hycean world using the James Webb Space Telescope. He earned his PhD in Physics from MIT and held postdoctoral positions at MIT, Princeton, and Yale before joining Cambridge in 2013. Madhusudhan has received numerous awards, including the Young Scientist Medal in Astrophysics from the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics, the MERAC Prize in Theoretical Astrophysics from the European Astronomical Society, and the Pilkington Prize for excellence in teaching at Cambridge.