About me
Thilina Heenatigala (he/him) is the Director of Communications and Assistant Professor at Earth-Life Science Institute (ELSI) in Tokyo. He leads the outreach team, science communication projects, and teaches the science communication graduate course at ELSI. His research interests are public engagement evaluation, science & society strategies at research institutions, and decolonising science in academia and outreach. Thilina also conducts astrometry and spectroscopy research in double stars and exoplanets, specifically with students from developing countries. He’s a member of the International Astronomical Union (IAU) by supporting the Office of Astronomy for Education (OAE) and the Office for Astronomy Outreach (OAO) to focus on astronomy outreach and education in developing countries. He also supports the IAU Office of Astronomy for Development (OAD) as a reviewer for annual projects on astronomy for development.