B. García-Lorenzo

As part of a worldwide pioneer team on integral field spectroscopy (IFS), the aim of my PhD thesis (1993-97, IAC/ULL) was to show up the applicability of IFS with optical fibers in astronomy, in particular, in studying the circumnuclear region of nearby active galaxies. Since 1997, I opened my scientific interests to other fields where the IFS could provide advantages over traditional techniques (gravitational lenses, mergers/interactions, QSOs host galaxies, and Herbig-Haro objects). From 1998 to 2002, I was a support astronomer (two years affiliated with the IAC and three years to the Isaac Newton Group of Telescopes of the British Council) at the Observatorio del Roque de los Muchachos. I participated in a pool of projects related to scientific instruments (e.g., the WYFFOS long camera, ISIS image slicer adapter, ISIS rapid spectroscopic mode, INTEGRAL, etc). In this period, I became acquainted with diverse instrumental techniques such as near-infrared image (INGRID), high spectral resolution (UES), multi-object spectroscopy (LDSS), IFS (SAURON, OASIS, etc.), and adaptive optics (NAOMI). In 2003, I joined the Sky Quality and High Spatial Resolution teams at the IAC to carry out atmospheric optical studies applied to developing high-spatial-resolution instruments. We obtained 3D information for the structure of the atmospheric turbulence at Canary Islands and Paranal observatories through the SCIDAR technique, data that are crucial to optimize the design and operation of adaptive optics systems for large telescopes. From 2007 to 2012, I enjoyed a Ramón y Cajal contract in Spain, focused on an experimental research project to develop a prototype instrument to observe high-contrast nearby sources, designed as a testing branch for new methodologies and instrumental challenges. In 2012, I got a permanent position as Staff Scientist (“Científico Titular de OPI”) at the IAC. Since then I am part of the team at the IAC working on HARMONI, the first light integral field spectrograph for the Extremely Large Telescope (39m-ELT). From March 2014 to February 2018, I was the Head of the Instrumentation Division at the IAC. My scientific activity mainly focuses on unveiling the triggering mechanisms (internal/external) of low and moderate luminosity AGN in the local Universe. Properties of nearby galaxies define the framework to study their high redshift counterparts. The same galaxy properties as we are revealing in the nearby galaxies will be accessible at cosmological distances thanks to the unprecedented spatial resolution of HARMONI+ELT.