School of Social and Political Science

Research interests

Holbrook studies astronomy in culture using methods drawn from anthropology, sociology, STS and regularly collaborates with experts beyond these disciplines. LSST2LSST is their LSST-Discovery Alliance funded project to study the Vera Rubin Telescope community as the telescope is completed and the data starts flowing. The project builds upon research with co-I Sharon Traweek (UCLA) on how minoritized scientists were engaging with Big Data Astrophysics. 

ASTROMOVES is their MSCA project, which focuses on the career decision making of astrophysicists and scientists from related fields. ASTROMOVES brings gender and sexual diversity as well as hidden and visible disabilities into dialogue with navigating academic and non-academic careers. The films from ASTROMOVES are found on the ASTROMOVES blog: https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/astromoves/2021/07/02/welcome-to-astromoves/. 

Holbrook is interested in mentoring postgraduate students focused on astronomical heritage (Indigenous, observatories, intangible), studies of astrophysicists, ethnographic studies of Indigenous astronomy especially African Indigenous astronomy, and those interested in understanding the processes of inclusion and exclusion related to space industry. Some potential projects for 2025-2027 are:

• 2025 has seen the Rubin Observatory https://rubinobservatory.org/about begin operations. There are two telescopes that can be seen as precursors or competition: Pan-STARRS in Hawaii and the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) in New Mexico. Now is the time for a postgraduate student to study how Pan-STARRS and SDSS are repositioning themselves in the wake of the Rubin Observatory powerhouse.
• Scotland has several proposals for space launch sites, however in 2025 the United Kingdom will be closing their independent UK Space Agency. How are the Scottish projects adjusting to this potential change in the funding landscape?
• Scotland is home to several Dark Sky preserves. How are local communities leveraging this natural heritage into tourist and education financial streams?
• Astronomy is still part of many Indigenous cultures worldwide. How are light pollution, climate change and migration implicated in changing this specialized Indigenous Knowledge?