Thilina Heenatigala

Thilina Heenatigala is a distinguished academic and science communicator currently serving as a Specially Appointed Assistant Professor at the Tokyo Institute of Technology since April 2022. In addition, Thilina is a Research Affiliate at the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan and the Director of Science Communication at the Earth-Life Science Institute (ELSI), both roles held since November 2018. Previous positions include Astronomy & Society at Leiden University, where Thilina contributed to the astroEDU platform, and roles in outreach and communications with Europlanet 2020 RI and the Galileo Teacher Training Program. Thilina has also held leadership positions with organizations like Universe Awareness and Astronomers Without Borders, fostering international collaboration and education in astronomy, especially within underprivileged communities.