Dr. Tana Joseph

Tana smiling looking off into the distance

Dr. Tana Joseph is a South African astronomer, entrepreneur, science communicator and decolonisation/EDI advocate. Her research is focused on X-ray emitting double stars, called X-ray binaries, in galaxies outside the Milky Way. Using telescopes on the ground and in space, Dr. Joseph studies how these high energy binaries form, grow and influence their surroundings. She obtained her PhD in 2013 from the University of Southampton and has been awarded Fulbright and Royal Society fellowships for her research excellence. In addition to her research, Dr. Joseph is very committed to making science academia a place people from all walks of life, regardless their background and identities, can access, contribute to and thrive in. She uses her platform as a Black female astronomer to advocate for more equitable and inclusive practices and culture in the astronomy community. Dr. Joseph is also a passionate science communicator. In 2018 she started her own company, AstroComms, to help science, technology, engineering and maths practitioners communicate their work with a wider audience, including policy makers and the creative sector.

Connect with Dr. Tana on Twitter, and check out their organization on Twitter and their website.