Cardiff astrophysicist awarded Caroline Herschel Prize Lectureship 2026

Nation.Cymru staff

A prestigious lecture in memory of a trailblazing female astronomer will be delivered by a Cardiff-based astrophysicist.

Dr Isobel Romero-Shaw, who is based at the Gravity Exploration Institute at the School of Physics and Astronomy at Cardiff University, is the winner of the 2026 Caroline Herschel Prize Lectureship.

Established in 2018 by what is now the Herschel Society in association with the Royal Astronomical Society (RAS), the lectureship celebrates Caroline’s memory by supporting promising women astronomers early in their careers.

Caroline, William Herschel’s younger sister, started out as his assistant, but in time became recognised as an important astronomer in her own right, was the first to be paid as such, and was awarded the RAS Gold Medal in 1828.

Dr Romero Shaw’s lecture, “Violent Beginnings Have Violent Ends: Deciphering the Origins of Binary Compact Object Collisions with Gravitational Waves” is hosted by the University of Bath in November 2026 in cooperation with the RAS as part of a public lecture series.

“I’m thrilled and honoured to have been awarded the 2026 Caroline Herschel Prize Lectureship,” she said.

“We’re only a decade into the era of observational gravitational-wave astronomy, yet we’ve already witnessed hundreds of violent collisions between stellar remnants: black holes and neutron stars.

“These discoveries are transforming how we understand the lives of stars, how they evolve together, and how they continue and conclude their cosmic dance after death.

“It’s fantastic to see the Herschel Society and the Royal Astronomical Society sharing in the excitement of this rapidly growing field, and I’m looking forward to bringing that excitement to new audiences through these lectures.”

A Science and Technology Facilities Council Ernest Rutherford Fellow, Dr Isobel Romero-Shaw has pioneered the use of gravitational wave signals from distant compact binary systems – black holes or neutron stars orbiting each other – to determine the nature of their orbits.

She has demonstrated excellence in research, including leadership within the LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA collaboration of gravitational wave observatories, and a strong publication record.

She also has an excellent track record in outreach and communication, having illustrated and co-created children’s science books and worked with Bristol’s Science Centre, We The Curious.

Professor Haley Gomez, Head of Cardiff University’s School of Physics and Astronomy, said: “I can’t think of a better candidate for the Caroline Herschel Prize Lectureship.”

“Isobel is already such an influential scholar in the field of gravitational waves astronomy, despite being so early in her academic career. This momentum will only accelerate in the coming years, as she continues to probe the origins of these violent cosmic phenomena.”

“What a fitting tribute to one of the very first female astronomers. I wish her every success for her lectureship and can’t wait to attend to hear first hand about the exciting work she’s been doing with our group here in Cardiff.”