Maximilian N. Günther

PLATO Project Scientist | CHEOPS Mission Representative

 

Main Research Fields

Astrophysicist hunting for (non-)habitable exoplanets, stellar flares, and life.
 
Hi! I’m an astrophysicist exploring potentially habitable worlds around other stars. I currently serve as PLATO Project Scientist & CHEOPS Mission Representative, plus continue to support both our ESA Exoplanet Team and Brainstorming on Astrobiology initiatives. What fascinates and drives me is the quest to find Earth-sized exoplanets around small stars, and the big question of how their habitability is shaped by stellar outbursts (flares). To address this, my research vision brings together exoplanet observations, stellar physics, and laboratory astrobiology. My multidisciplinary path has allowed me to explore a wide range of scientific fields over the years.
I studied physics in Würzburg, Germany (2009–2012), writing my bachelor’s thesis on intense radiation sources near black holes (mega-masers). Wanting broader experience, I moved to Austin, TX, for my Master’s research (2012–2013), working on genetic diseases in a biophysics lab. I then entered the exoplanet field, completing my PhD with Nobel laureate Didier Queloz in Cambridge, UK (2014–2018). I continued and expanded this research as a Torres Fellow at MIT (2018–2021) and as a Research Fellow at ESA (2021–2022). I later transitioned into an ESA staff role, taking on various mission responsibilities, including serving as CHEOPS Project Scientist & Mission Representative (2022–2026), and as Chair of selected ESA Science initiatives.

Email  •  Website  • ​​​ GitHub  •  LinkedIn

Keywords

  • Exoplanets and Habitability
  • Stellar Flares and Cool Stars
  • Machine Learning and Bayesian Statistics

Ongoing collaborations

  • PLATO (PLAnetary Transits and Oscillations of stars)
  • CHEOPS (CHaracterising ExOPlanet Satellite)
  • ASTEP (Antarctic Search for Transiting ExoPlanets)
  • NGTS (Next Generation Transit Survey)
  • SPECULOOS (Search for habitable Planets EClipsing ULtra-cOOl Stars)

Previous Collaborations

  • TESS (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite), 2018-2022

Publications

  • Refereed publications ≥170 ⋅ h-index ≥37 ⋅ citations ≥5,200 (last updated March 2026)
  • ADS Harvard ⋅ ORCID ⋅​​​​​​ Google Scholar

Duty station

  • European Space Agency (ESA)
    European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC)
    Keplerlaan 1, 2201 AZ Noordwijk, The Netherlands