About Me

Employment
2026 - 2029
Research Associate at the Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics, University of Manchester
Aim: harnessing Nancy Roman Space Telescope data for new exoplanet demographic studies

2024 - 2026
Research Fellow in the Sun, Stars and Exoplanets group, University of Birmingham, UK
Aim: using the four decades of Birmingham Solar Oscillations Network (BiSON) data to investigate stellar variability phenomena across a magnetic cycle on timescales from minutes to months

Education
2020 - 2024
PhD in Astrophysics at the University of Exeter, UK
Supervisors: Dr. Raphaelle Haywood, Dr. Tim Naylor
Title: Breaking the stellar activity barrier to determining robust masses of small exoplanets

2016 - 2020
MPhys in Physics and Astronomy at Durham University, UK
Master Project Advisor: Prof. Cedric Lacey
Title: Study of the galaxy merger rate in the EAGLE simulation

Research Interests
I am an exoplanet hunter, and my broad research interests cover exoplanet demographics, and stellar magnetism and variability. I started my research in the combined radial velocity and transit regime, with an explict focus on stellar activity mitigation and understanding for the detection of small rocky planets. My research has focused on developing and applying advanced statistical and machine learning techniques, such as Gaussian process regression, singular value decomposition, and deep neural networks. I am also involved in "Sun as an exoplanet-hosting distant star" studies.
I am now moving more broadly into exoplanet demographic studies, focused on the new data coming from the Nancy Roman Space Telescope. I am building novel forward models to account for the biases and selection effects in the Roman data, in order to better understanding the underlying exoplanet population and its formation and evolution.
At the same time I am leading the development of another pipeline that aims to generate disk-integrated polarimetric Stokes profiles starting from resolved solar images.

I like software developing and care for open and reproducible science. During my doctorate I have developed a python3 pipeline called MAGPy for planet detection and stellar signal mitigation. I used this new pipeline in the detection and characterisations of multiple planetary systems with the HARPS-N Science Team. I have also used in studies on the effectiveness of the mean longitudian magnetic field as a stellar activity tracer.

I am involved in various international collaborations. I have recently joined the Nancy Roman Space Telescope science team. I am a member of the High Accuracy Rocky Planet Search for the Northern Hemisphere (HARPS-N) Consortium Science Team and I lead the Solar Team. I also am a collaborator in the PoET solar feed group, and in the PLATO Consortium.

I am passionate about scientific dissemination and am therefore very active in public outreach. I especially love working with younger students and children, from visiting schools, exchanging letters to direct pastoral mentoring in highschool.

For a recent talk covering my primary scientific interests, see the ExoExplorers 2025 Cohort Invited Talk

Publications:
ADS Library of all papers and publications

Research

For a full list of publications, see my CV or my ADS Library.

Nancy Roman Telescope Demographic Studies
I am working on developing simulated datasets for demographic studies of the Nancy Roman Telescope data. I will focus on merging and co-analysing results from both the microlensing and the transiting surveys, in order to better understand the underlying exoplanet population and its formation and evolution.

Recalibrating 40 years of 40s cadence BiSON solar data: beyond the 1-day stability
I am developing a pileine for a complete re-calibration of the Sun-as-a-star data from the Birmingham Solar Oscillations Network (BiSON) telescope network using physics-driven machine learning methods with the aim of studying longer term solar variability in the Extreme Precision Radial Velocity regime.
A first look is available here: BiSON Sun-as-a-Star Data: New Calibration Method for Long-baseline High-cadence Extreme Precision Radial Velocities
Recorded talks from conferences: Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence applied to astronomy

Extreme Stellar Signals Project
I am one of four Executive Committee members leading the collaboration. The Extreme Stellar Signals Project (ESSP) is an international research network of scientists working to mitigate stellar signals for improved radial velocity (RV) planet searches. This website describes the fourth round of ESSP work.
More information at our website: ESSP EPRV
Included in the poster: The Extreme Stellar Signals Project IV

Disk-Intregrated Stokes Profiles from resolved SDO data
I am developing a new method to account for magnetic intensification signals that combines simulations and observations. This is the first general RV model to include magnetic intensification effects and compute both polarised and unpolarised line profiles. Full Stokes profiles are computed for each pixel with a generative model that includes Zeeman and magneto-optical effects.

Past Projects

  • Gaussian process regression of temperature-dependent radial velocities
    I perform a GP regression analysis on solar RV time series measured from spectral segments formed at different temperatures within the photosphere in order to evaluate the relation between the best-fit GP kernel hyperparameters and the observed differential activity signal.
    Published in: Rescigno and Al Moulla 2025, MNRAS, doi:10.1093/mnras/stae2806
  • Rocky Planet Search: HD48948 planetary system detection
    Non—transiting planet detection of three super Earths, one of which in its stellar habitable zone, using HARPS-N radial velocity data.
    HARPS-N GTO Collaboration, RPS Team. Under the lead of Dr. Shweta Dalal (University of Exeter, UK).
    Published in: Dalal, Rescigno et al. 2024, MNRAS, V.531, I.4, pp.4464-4481. doi:10.1093/mnras/stae1367
  • MAGPy Pipeline
    MAGPy: a pipeline for Gaussian Process regression with MCMC parameter space searching algorithm, developed in the context of stellar activity reduction for planet detection. It is developed to be self-contained and flexible enough to fit any Gaussian process need. Kernels and models can be modified or added. It has a affine invariant MCMC algorithm, which can optionally be parallelized. It includes publication level plotting. It is the process of being packaged for public release, with extended API.
    Published in: Rescigno et al. 2023, ASCL record:2310.006 and EMAC record:2311.006
    Released on GitHub: MAGPy
    Included in the poster: MAGPy pipeline and TOI2134.01 and .02 detection
  • A hot mini-Neptune and a temperate, highly eccentric sub-Saturn around the bright K-dwarf TOI-2134
    Including radial velocity data by HARPS—N and SOPHIE and transit photometry by TESS, LCOGT, WASP and NEOSSat.
    Publushed in: Rescigno et al. 2024, MNRAS, V.527, I.3, pp.5384-6407. doi:10.1093/mnras/stad3255
    Included in the poster: MAGPy pipeline, TOI2134.01 and .02 detection
  • SolAster: 'Sun-as-a-star' radial velocity variations analysis python pipeline. A tool to analyse SDO/HMI data to study the Sun as a non-resolved star, including magnetic activity and filling factors computations. Lead by Tama Ervin.
    Published in: Ervit et al. 2022, ApJ, V.163, I.6, id.272, 16 pp. doi:10.3847/ 1538-3881/ac67e6
    Simple use tutoral (developed for the Sun-as-a-star workshop, CCA, 2023): SolAster Jupyter Tutorial

Teaching and Outreach

Teaching, Lecturing and Supervision

2026-2029


2024-2025


2021-2023


2022-2023

2020-2022

2020-2023

2021, 2022



PhD Students Supervisor, Building simulated datasets for Nancy Roman Telescope data demographic studies. University of Manchester.

Master Project Supervisor, Hunting for hidden planets in Solar data. Dept. Physics, University of Birmingham

Lecturer, International Summer School for Sustainability: Putting Earth in its astronomical and geological context, FESE, University of Exeter

Graduate Teaching Assistant, Level 1 Astronomy Laboratory, Dept. Physics, University of Exeter
Graduate Teaching Assistant, Level 2 Astronomy Laboratory, Dept. Physics, University of Exeter
Graduate Teaching Assistant, Communication Skills Module, Dept. Physics, University of Exeter
Module Developer, Lead and Graduate Teaching Assistant, International Summer School for Sustainability, University of Exeter


Outreach and Public Service

2026






2025-2026

2025

2024-2025

2024




2023-2024

2023










2022-2023

2022








2021



2020


2019-2020
Pint of Science Speaker, General audience seminar for the Pints of Science 2026 events
Open Day Speaker for the University of Birmingham
Opening for the Flowering Desert Oper, Introductory talk for the astronomy opera
AstroSoc Speaker, Seminar focused on career progression and skills to the Astronomy Society of the University of Birmingham
Letters to a Pre-Scientist, STEM professional Pen Pal, mentoring a 9th grade student from a disadvantaged area in Ohio, USA
AstroSoc Speaker, Seminar focused on career progression and skills to the Astronomy Society of the University of Birmingham
Letters to a Pre-Scientist, STEM professional Pen Pal, mentoring a 8th grade student from a disadvantaged area in Arizona, USA
Astronomy in the City, Invited Speaker
Physics Experience Scheme, Exoplanet Experience Demonstrator
University of Exeter Open Research Award, Panel Judge
Space Exe Conference Speaker, Invited Speaker at the outreach/general public conference in Exeter, UK
Letters to a Pre-Scientist, STEM professional Pen Pal, mentoring a 9th grade student from a disadvantaged area in California, USA
British Science Festival Community Grants Scheme, Colab Exeter, Workshop Lecturer
Exeter STEMM Virtual Reality Impact Video, Exeter Exoplanet Theory Group
Futures 2023, Agile Rabbit, Interactive Presenter and Speaker
I'm a Scientist, Get Me Out of Here, Live Talk Show, Exoplanet Specialist
ExoClimes VI Outreach Event, in collaboration with the Exeter Science Centre, general public talks
I'm a Scientist, Get Me Out of Here, Live Talk Show, Exoplanet Specialist
Somerscience Festival, The Science of Climate Change, Exeter Science Centre, festival attraction
Letters to a Pre-Scientist, STEM professional Pen Pal, mentoring a 8th grade student from a disadvantaged area in Georgia, USA
Cubs and Beavers Astronomical Badges, Cubs and Beavers Scouting Groups, ages 8-10 and 6-8, Speaker and Event Leader, Newton Abbot, UK
Routes Network Workshop 'Migration Futures', Discussion about future types of migration, Invited Speaker and Panellist, Exeter University
Futures 2022, Agile Rabbit, Interactive Presenter and Invited Speaker
Sciencedipity Workshop, Exeter Library, On-hand Scientist
Breaking the Ice: Exeter's Pop-up Science Centre, Exeter Science Centre, Invited Speaker and On-hand Scientist
Science Day, Astronomical Badge, Brownies Scounting Group, Speaker
Henrietta Lewitt Day, Links to a Life, Park School, Invited Speaker
Careers in Science Day, Norwich School, Invited Speaker
NSC Lead Educators Address, National Science Centre, Invited Speaker
National Science Center Takeover, Invited Speaker
Great Conjuction Event, Scientific Mediator and Children Outreach Lead, Exeter Science Centre. Website can be found here. It is featured in an article in A&E
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Board, Committee Member