Eric Jiménez Andrade, researcher at the Institute for Radio Astronomy and Astrophysics (IRyA), UNAM Morelia, was elected as Young Fellow to represent the Physics and Astronomy division of Latin America and the Caribbean, in The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS).
TWAS a is a global science academy based in Trieste, Italy, working to advance science and engineering for sustainable prosperity in the developing world. Founded in 1983 as Third World Academy of Sciences, it aims to promote scientific capacity and excellence for sustainable development in emerging countries.
Jiménez Andrade was presented along the group of scientists elected as Young Fellows in 2025 during the 17th TWAS General Conference in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on September 29, 2025. e was selected for a six year term by the TWAS Latin America and the Caribbean Regional Partner at the Brazilian Academy of Sciences.
At the TWAS General Conference, IRyA’s young researcher presented a talk about the Next Generation Very Large Array (ngVLA), a binational project to build more than 240 antennas across the United States (primarily in the Southwest) and Mexico, delivering unprecedented levels of depth and detail in radio astronomical observations.
In Mexico, IRyA leads the ngVLA efforts, and Jiménez Andrade is an integral part of the collaboration, which includes several Mexican Universities and Institutions, as well as the National Radio Astronomical Observatory (NRAO) of the United States.
TWAS Young Fellows are selected on their potential for future impact. They must be 40 or younger, have been living and working in a developing country for at least the last three years, and have a history of excellence and accomplishment, including at least 10 publications in internationally recognized, peer-reviewed, scientific journals. Only 35 years old, Jiménez Andrade already has 50 refereed, scientific publications, 7 of which are as first author.
These young scientists join a growing network of some of the developing world’s most promising talents, and bring valuable energy and generational perspective to the Academy. They also receive further opportunities to interact and learn from TWAS Fellows, some of the most accomplished scientific minds in the global South.
Photo: Eric Jiménez (third from left), along with the other individuals elected as TWAS Young Fellows in 2025. In the center, next to Jiménez, is South African researcher Quarraisha Abdool Karim, current president of TWAS. Credit: TWAS.
Eric Jiménez Andrade’s career
Eric Jiménez earned his undergraduate degree in physics from the Autonomous University of Puebla, Mexico, and his master's degree in astrophysics from the National Institute of Astrophysics, Optics and Electronics (INAOE, Mexico). He received his doctorate from the University of Bonn, Germany. He later completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) in the United States. He has been a researcher at IRyA since 2022.
His research focuses on galaxy formation and evolution. He primarily uses observations from the Very Large Array (VLA), the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA), and the Hubble Space Telescope to explore the structural evolution of galaxies. He investigates how star formation and black hole activity regulate galaxy growth over cosmic time. In 2025, he was elected a Young Fellow of The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS).
About IRyA, UNAM
The Instituto de Radioastronomía y Astrofísica (IRyA), or Institute for Radio Astronomy and Astrophysics is an academic unit at UNAM, Campus Morelia, Mexico. We perform high-level and high-impact research in the areas of interstellar medium, star formation, evolved stars, high energy astrophysics, Galactic dynamics and structure, extragalactic astronomy and cosmology. We contribute to the education of high-level human resources through a postgraduate program, and we have close contact with society through diverse outreach programs.
If you are interested in our Institute, visit the English version of our webpage, www.irya.unam.mx/web/en
Media contact:
Dr. René A. Ortega Minakata
Outreach and Science Communication
IRyA UNAM Campus Morelia
Text: René A. Ortega Minakata, IRyA UNAM, with information from TWAS.