Shirley Ho, Ph.D.

Shirley Ho is a senior research scientist at CCA and she joined the Foundation in 2018 to lead the Cosmology X Data Science group. Her research interests range from cosmology to developing new machine learning methods for scientific data that leverage shared concepts across scientific domains.

Ho has extensive expertise in astrophysical theory, observation, and data science. She focuses on novel statistical and machine learning tools to address cosmic mysteries like the origins and fate of the universe.

Ho analyzes data from surveys including ACT, Euclid, LSST, Simons Observatory, SDSS, and Roman Space Telescope to understand our universe’s evolution. She earned her Ph.D. in Astrophysical Sciences from Princeton in 2008 and B.S. degrees in Computer Science and Physics from UC Berkeley in 2004.

Ho was previously a Chamberlain and Seaborg Fellow at Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. She joined Carnegie Mellon as an Assistant Professor in 2011, becoming Cooper Siegel Career Development Chair Professor and tenured Associate Professor. In 2016 she moved to Lawrence Berkeley Lab as a Senior Scientist.

Since 2011, Ho has mentored over 50 postdocs, 10 Ph.D. students, and 20 undergraduates in astrophysics, computer science, and statistics. Her awards include the Macronix Prize, Carnegie Science Award, Blavatnik National Finalist, and the EPS Giuseppe and Vanna Cocconi Prize in Cosmology.