NASA Program Scientist

Dr. Mario Perez is the NASA Program Scientist for several Exoplanet Exploration missions such as the Space Interferometry Mission, Terrestrial Planet Finder and also for the Large Binocular Telescope Interferometer (LBTI) as well as for the NASA Exoplanet Science Institute (NExScI). He comes from Los Alamos National Laboratory where he spent seven years working on astrophysics, space and technology issues. Prior to this appointment, he worked in the Washington D.C. area for the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center as the International Ultraviolet Explorer’s resident astronomer and for NASA science contracts with several corporations.

After completing his undergraduate studies in electrical engineering and physics at Santa Maria University in Valparaiso, Chile, Perez began working in astronomy at the European Southern Observatory. He received his Ph.D. in physics and astronomy from Brigham Young University and an MBA from the University of New Mexico. Dr. Perez’s research interests include young stellar objects—in particular Herbig Ae/Be stars—stellar populations in galaxies, ultraviolet spectroscopy, star formation and space instrumentation.