Dr. Luis Ho is a preeminent astrophysicist and global leader in observational astronomy, currently serving as Director of the Kavli Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics at Peking University and holding the distinguished position of University Chair Professor. Born in Macau and raised in Mozambique, he immigrated to the United States in 1979, where he completed his undergraduate studies in astronomy and physics at Harvard University in 1990 before earning his PhD in astronomy from the University of California, Berkeley in 1995. He established his research career during a fifteen-year tenure as Staff Astronomer at the Observatories of the Carnegie Institution for Science from 1998 to 2013, where he developed expertise in multi-wavelength observational techniques. In 2014, Dr. Ho made a significant career transition to China to lead one of Asia's premier astronomy research institutes, bringing international expertise to advance astronomical research across East Asia.
Dr. Ho is internationally recognized for his pioneering work using cutting-edge telescopes spanning radio to X-ray energies to investigate supermassive black holes and their relationship with galaxy formation and evolution. His extensive research portfolio, comprising nearly 800 publications, has fundamentally advanced our understanding of active galactic nuclei, accretion disk physics, and the coevolutionary processes between black holes and their host galaxies. His systematic observational approaches have established crucial frameworks for studying black hole scaling relations and AGN feedback mechanisms, providing foundational insights that shape contemporary extragalactic astronomy research worldwide. As deputy editor of the Astrophysical Journal Letters, he has significantly influenced the dissemination of astronomical knowledge while maintaining rigorous scientific standards across the field.
Beyond his research contributions, Dr. Ho has been instrumental in fostering astronomical development throughout China and East Asia, actively participating in the planning of current and future telescopes and research facilities that enhance regional capabilities in observational astronomy. His leadership extends to major international collaborations, including his contribution to the Event Horizon Telescope project, for which he shared the prestigious 2020 Einstein Medal and Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics. As a Fellow of the American Astronomical Society and Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, he continues to shape the global astronomical community through his expertise, mentorship of emerging researchers, and strategic guidance for the field's future direction. Currently directing Peking University's Kavli Institute, Dr. Ho remains at the forefront of efforts to unravel cosmic mysteries surrounding supermassive black holes and their role in the structure and evolution of the universe.
