The 2026 Kavli Prize Committee in Astrophysics
Per Barth Lilje (chair)
University of Oslo, Norway
Per Barth Lilje is a Norwegian cosmologist and astronomer. He earned his PhD at the University of Cambridge in 1988, and since 1993 has been professor at the Institute of Theoretical Astrophysics (ITA) at the University of Oslo. His research focuses on cosmology and large-scale structure of the universe. He has also played the leading role in the Norwegian participation in the Planck and Euclid space missions, aiming to probe the cosmic microwave radiation and the accelerating expansion of the universe.
Beatriz Barbuy
University of Sao Paolo, Brazil
Beatriz L. S. Barbuy is a Brazilian astrophysicist and professor at the University of São Paulo (IAG-USP), recognized for her pioneering work on the chemical composition and evolution of stellar populations in the Milky Way and nearby galaxies. Her research has contributed to identifying some of the oldest stars in our galaxy, shedding light on its early formation history. Barbuy has held leadership roles in the International Astronomical Union (IAU) — including vice-president — and in 2009 she was awarded the prestigious L'Oréal‑UNESCO For Women in Science prize for her contributions to astrophysics.
Martha Haynes
Cornell University, USA
Martha P. Haynes is an American astronomer specializing in extragalactic and radio astronomy. She earned her PhD in 1978 at Indiana University and since 1983 has served on the faculty at Cornell University until her retirement in 2024. She currently holds the title of Distinguished Professor of Arts and Sciences in Astronomy Emerita. Her scientific research concentrates on observational cosmology, environmental impacts on galaxy evolution and spectral line radio astronomy. She currently chairs the Board of Directors of the international CCAT Observatory constructing the novel-design Fred Young Submillimeter Telescope at 18,400 feet elevation in the Atacama desert in northern Chile. She has been awarded the Henry Draper Medal (1989) and the Catherine Wolfe Bruce Gold Medal (2019) for her lifetime contributions to astrophysics.
Thomas Henning
Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, Germany
Thomas K. Henning is a German astrophysicist born in 1956. He earned his PhD in 1984 from the University of Jena and was from 2001 to 2024 director of the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy (MPIA), where he led the Planet and Star Formation Department. Henning is renowned for his research on star and planet formation, especially studies of protoplanetary disks, exoplanets, interstellar dust, and the physics and chemistry of the interstellar medium — combining observational astronomy, theory, and laboratory astrophysics. He remains active in research as director-emeritus at MPIA and professor at Heidelberg University and leading the MPIA "Origins of Life" lab. Henning received many awards including the Karl Schwarzschild Medal and is a member of the German National Academy Lepoldina.
Didier Queloz
ETH Zürich, Switzerland
Didier P. Queloz FRS, is a Swiss astronomer (born 1966), Jacksonian Professor of Natural Philosophy at Cambridge and part-time professor at ETH Zurich, pioneered the exoplanet revolution in 1995 by co-discovering the first planet orbiting another star. This breakthrough earned him the 2019 Nobel Prize in Physics. Over the past 25 years, his research has advanced methods to detect and characterize exoplanetary systems, revealing their structure, formation, and evolution compared to our Solar System. He has led programs that identified hundreds of planets, including major discoveries. Currently, his focus is on Earth-like planets and habitability, driving comprehensive research into life in the Universe. He founded the Leverhulme Centre for Life in the Universe at Cambridge and the Centre for Origin and Life in the Universe at ETH Zurich
