João Braga

Has a degree in Physics from Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro (1980), a M.Sc. in Astrophysics from Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais (1984) and a Ph.D in Astronomy from University of São Paulo (1990). The thesis project was fully developed at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, in Cambridge, MA, as a Smithsonian Predoctoral Fellow. Did posdoc research in X-Ray Astronomy at the Univertity of Colorado in Boulder. Currently is full researcher at INPE, where he has already served as Vice-Director General, Director for Regional Centers, Director for Space and Atmospheric Sciences, Head of the Astrophysics Division and Coordinator of the Astrophysics Graduate Course. Acts mainly in the fields of High-Energy Astrophysics and Space Astronomy, with focus on the development of instrumentation and experimental techniques for X- and Gamma-ray detectors and telescopes in stratospheric balloons and satellites. Served as a member of the SOAR telescope Board, the Technical and Scientific Council of the Observatório Nacional, the Board of Directors of the Brazilian Astronomical Society and as President (as well as the Brazilian representative) of the Scientific Committee of ICRANet (International Center for Relativistic Astrophysics Network). Is a member of the IAU Division XI (Space and High-Energy Astrophysics) and of the COSPAR Brazilian Committee and Panel on Scientific Ballooning. Serves occasionally as peer-reviewer for NASA proposals. Has presented invited talks and participated in Scientific Organizing Committees in several International and national meetings. Has conceived and is the Principal Investigator of the first Brazilian astronomical space mission, MIRAX (Monitor e Imageador de Raios X), currently under development at INPE. Was a member of the HETE-2 (High Energy Transient Explorer) Scientific Team and is currently a member of the science team of the Chinese/European mission eXTP (enhanced X-ray Timing and Polarimetry) and the European mission THESEUS (Transient High-Energy Sky and Early Universe Surveyor). Also, is currently the President of the high council of FUNCATE (Foundation for Space Science, Applications and Technology) and academic coordinator of SPANet (São Paulo Astronomy Network). (Source: Lattes Curriculum)