Microlensing is one of the key exoplanet detection methods being used to find cooler low-mass exoplanets in regions around their hosts where some theories suggest most planets are formed. I am a member of the MiNDSTEp exoplanet microlensing follow-up team and I am also involved in helping to design space-based microlensing exoplanet surveys. Two possibilities for such surveys include the ESA EUCLID and NASA WFIRST mission candidates. Space-based microlensing surveys promise to complement the survey of hot and warm exoplanets being discovered by the Kepler mission by surveying the cold-planet population down to Earth masses, enabling a more complete understanding of exoplanetary architectures and the process of planet formation.

I am also involved in the largest survey of near-infrared variable sources within our Galaxy. The VVV project aims to monitor up to 10 million variable sources over five years using the VISTA telescope in Chile. It is one of six ESO Public Surveys using VISTA. By exploiting the relative transparency of our Galaxy at near infrared wavelengths VVV will be able to use the distribution of variable stars to map the structure of the inner Galaxy in three dimensions. It will also provide a more complete understanding of a wide range of astrophysical systems such as the globular cluster population, eclipsing binary systems, high propoer motion objects and stellar microlensing events.

For further details on some recent projects I have worked on please see here. You might also like to find out about work more generally within the JBCA exoplanets group.