Curriculum Vitae
Jerome Pitogo de Leon, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral researcher at The University of Tokyo
Download PDF CV · Download PDF Resume · Google Scholar · LinkedIn · GitHub
This page is a web-friendly summary. The PDF CV contains the full publication list and is generated automatically from the source repository.
Jump to: Overview · Education · Work Experience · Temporary Positions · Publications · Awards · Teaching & Mentorship · Service
Overview
Research: Author of 90 refereed publications in exoplanet science with 2,119 total citations and an h-index of 29. Research focuses on the discovery and characterization of transiting exoplanets using space- and ground-based telescopes and advanced data analyses.
Teaching: Designed and delivered introductory astronomy courses for undergraduates, five of whom subsequently pursued graduate studies in the Philippines and abroad.
Mentorship: Supervised 2 PhD, 2 master’s, and 4 undergraduate students on astronomy research projects. Developed publicly available software tools to support research and instruction.
Outreach: Delivered invited talks for academic and public audiences and founded an astronomy community initiative to promote engagement in astronomy.
Education
PhD in Astronomy, 2021
Department of Astronomy, The University of Tokyo, Japan
Dissertation: Discovery and Characterization of Transiting Exoplanets with Diverse Radii and Ages (online)
Advisor: Prof. Motohide Tamura
MSc in Astronomy, 2018
Department of Astronomy, The University of Tokyo, Japan
Thesis: Multi-color Simultaneous Transit Observations of Low-density Hot Jupiters (online)
Advisor: Prof. Motohide Tamura
BSc in Physics, 2013
Department of Physics, University of the Philippines Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines
Thesis: Thermal Differential and Image Analysis of a Fabricated 11-cm Solar Telescope Using an Active-Passive Cooling System
Advisor: Dr. Rogel Mari Sese
Full-time Work Experience
Project Assistant Professor (2025/4–Present)
Komaba Institute for Science, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Japan
Lead coordination of observations and data analysis with MuSCAT4 under the JSPS Kiban S project, including planning observing campaigns, overseeing data reduction, and maintaining analysis workflows.
Project Research Assistant (2023/4–2025/3)
Department of Multi-Disciplinary Sciences, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Japan
Led the discovery and detailed characterization of young transiting exoplanets using TESS photometry, including target vetting, light-curve modeling, and follow-up coordination.
Advisor: Prof. Norio Narita (see de Leon et al. 2023)
Project Research Assistant (2021/4–2023/3)
Department of Astronomy, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Japan
Coordinated an international collaboration that identified 37 transiting exoplanets from Kepler data, performing transit detection, validation, and system characterization.
Advisor: Prof. Motohide Tamura (see de Leon et al. 2021)
Research Development Assistant (2013/4–2014/6)
Regulus SpaceTech, Inc., Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines
Initiated and implemented software for automated solar telescope control and data analysis.
Advisor: Dr. Rogel Sese
Temporary Positions
▶ Show all (6 positions)
Consultant (2024/6–Present)
Telos Media (www.telos.so)
Accuracy reviewer of Astronomy-related long-form educational videos published on YouTube.
Remote Lecturer (2021/6–2021/10)
Faculty of Aerospace Engineering, School of Engineering & Architecture, Ateneo de Davao University, Philippines
Designed and delivered lectures on introductory astronomy and astronomical data analysis for senior undergraduates.
Technical Assistant (2018/10–2019/3)
Engineering Department, The University of Tokyo, Japan
Designed and implemented image-processing software for stitching featureless high-resolution images.
Advisor: Assoc. Prof. Tomohiko Hayakawa (see Murakami et al. 2018)
Research Assistant (2017/4–2018/3)
Department of Astronomy, The University of Tokyo, Japan
Designed a pipeline for modeling and analyzing multi-wavelength transit light curves and mentored new group members in its use.
Research Student (2015/9–2016/3)
Department of Astronomy, Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI), Japan
Conducted data reduction and analysis of high-resolution astronomical images and prepared technical content for scientific reports.
Advisor: Dr. Satoshi Mayama
Intern (2014/7–2014/9)
Academia Sinica Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics (ASIAA), Taipei, Taiwan
Developed an image-processing pipeline to analyze high-resolution images of a young forming star using the 8-m Subaru Telescope.
Advisor: Dr. Michihiro Takami (see de Leon et al. 2015)
Publications
refereed: 90 · first author: 3 · citations: 2,119 · h-index: 29
See the Publications page for selected first-author and co-authored papers, the full list on Google Scholar, or download the PDF CV for the complete, referee-formatted list.
Awards
▶ Show all (9 awards)
2022/12: St. Joseph’s Academy Centennial Achiever’s Award
2021/3: Philippine Embassy in Japan Medal for Distinguished Filipino Graduates
2018/4–2021/3: MEXT PhD Scholarship, Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (JPY 8.4M)
2016/4–2018/3: MEXT MSc Scholarship (JPY 5.6M)
2015/4–2016/3: MEXT Japanese Language and Research Scholarship (JPY 2.8M)
2015/10–2016/3: Research Grant, Graduate University for Advanced Studies (JPY 0.2M)
2014/9: SanDisk Japan Scholarship (USD 3.75k, deferred)
2013/3: International Space University Scholarship (EUR 9k, deferred)
2011–present: Multiple travel grants for data science workshops and research conferences, including observation runs in the U.S., Europe, South Africa, and Southeast Asia
Teaching and Mentorships
Designed and Taught Courses: Created and delivered two elective courses for 4th-year Aerospace Engineering undergraduates at the Ateneo de Davao University during the 2nd semester of 2021.
Research Collaborations: Collaborated with several international teams on multi-year projects resulting in research publications in high-impact, peer-reviewed journals.
Pipeline Development: Developed publicly available Python code to analyze data from the TESS telescope for research and instructional use (see github.com/jpdeleon/quicklook).
Undergraduate Thesis Advisory: Mentored K.M. Shariat on Bayesian Statistical Modeling; mentored K. Uno on estimating stellar ages using multiple techniques as part of a Research Introduction class; mentored H. Kobayashi on developing a pipeline to find young transiting planets and binary stars in nearby clusters (see github.com/hiremasa/ytps). Also advised A. Nodado on an undergraduate thesis on variable star characterization.
MEXT Scholarship Guidance: Guided A. Javier and C. Cabatlao from application to acceptance, supporting their successful pursuit of graduate studies in Japan.
See the Teaching page for course syllabi.
Trainings and Workshops
▶ Show all (27 events)
Nature Masterclasses: Impressive Academic Presentations (Expert trainer-led full-day workshop), University of Tokyo, March 18, 2026
University of Tokyo Faculty Development (UTokyo FD Open) Program, Tokyo, Japan, Oct 2025–Feb 2026
5th ExoClock Meeting, Madrid, Spain, Oct 4–6, 2025
ARIEL Consortium Meeting, Madrid, Spain, Sep 30–Oct 4, 2025
Young Transiting Planet Workshop 2025, Ishigaki, Japan, Mar 12–15, 2025
JWST Data Analysis Workshop, Chiang Mai, Thailand, Jun 24–Jul 5, 2024
Japan Planetary Atmosphere Research Society Workshop II, Atami, Japan, Mar 2023
Japan Planetary Atmosphere Research Society Workshop, Matsushima, Miyagi, Japan, Mar 2022
RESCEU Symposium: From Protoplanetary Disks through Planetary System Architecture to Planetary Atmospheres and Habitability, Okinawa, Japan, Oct 14–18, 2019
1st NARIT–EACOA Summer Workshop on Astrostatistics and Informatics, Chiang Mai, Thailand, Aug 13–17, 2019
Telluric Line Hack Week, Flatiron Institute, New York, USA, Feb 25–28, 2019
NASA Sagan Exoplanet Summer Workshop, NASA Exoplanet Science Institute, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA, Jul 23–27, 2018
Japan Geoscience Union Meeting, Chiba, Japan, May 20–24, 2018
2nd Rencontres du Vietnam on Exoplanetary Science, Binh Dinh, Vietnam, Feb 2018
TIARA Summer School on Astrostatistics and Big Data, Taipei, Taiwan, Sep 4–8, 2017
Astronomy Hack Week, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA, Aug 28–Sep 1, 2017
Protoplanetary Disk Dynamics and Planet Formation Workshop, Yokohama Institute for Earth Sciences (JAMSTEC), Kanagawa, Japan, Sep 29–Oct 2, 2015
27th Spring School in Particles and Fields, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan City, Taiwan, Apr 2–5, 2014
NARIT–KASI Radio Astronomy Winter School, Chiang Mai, Thailand, Jan 27–30, 2014
TEDx Diliman: Things That Matter, UP Diliman, Philippines, Oct 20, 2013
2nd Southeast Asian Astronomers Collaboration Meeting, Bandung, Indonesia, Nov 18–22, 2013
Sokendai Asian Winter School on Exoplanets, National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ), Mitaka, Tokyo, Japan, Dec 3–5, 2012
1st Southeast Asian Astronomers Collaboration Meeting, Palawan, Philippines, Nov 5–7, 2012
Astronomy Training Workshop for Science Educators, Galileo Teacher Training Program (GTTP), UP Los Baños, Philippines, Apr 9–11, 2012
The Universe Survives 2012, NIDO Science Discovery Center, SM Mall of Asia, Pasay City, Philippines, Feb 18 and 24, 2012
Search for Undiscovered Main Belt Asteroids and Other Important NEO Observations, International Asteroid Campaign (IASC), Philippines, Apr 20–May 20, 2012
29th Samahang Pisika ng Pilipinas (Physics Society of the Philippines) National Physics Congress, National Institute of Physics, College of Science, UP Diliman, Philippines, Oct 24–26, 2011
International Astronomical Union (IAU) Gala Night, NIDO Discovery Center, SM Mall of Asia, Pasay City, Philippines, Oct 21, 2011
Developing Astronomy Education and Research in the Philippines, UP Los Baños, Philippines, Oct 20, 2011
Field Work Experiences
▶ Show all (9 experiences)
2022–present: Regular remote observations using the LCO Global Telescope Network
2018–present: Bi-monthly observations with the MuSCAT2/TCS telescope, Teide Observatory, Tenerife, Spain (remote)
2022–2023: Monthly remote observations with the Subaru/IRD telescope intensive program (remote; PI: Norio Narita)
2018–2020: MuSCAT2/TCS telescope, Teide Observatory, Tenerife, Spain (on-site)
2018: SIRIUS/IRSF telescope, Sutherland, South Africa (on-site, 2 weeks)
2018: IRCS/Subaru telescope, Mauna Kea Observatory, Hawaii, USA (on-site, 3 nights)
2017: CHARIS/Subaru telescope, Mauna Kea Observatory, Hawaii, USA (on-site, 2 nights)
2017: HDS/Gemini telescope, Mauna Kea Observatory, Hawaii, USA (on-site, 1 night)
2017–2019: MuSCAT2/OAO telescope, Japan (on-site, 20+ nights)
Outreach Activities
▶ Show all (13 activities)
Resource speaker for Junior High School Career Week, SJASQ, Philippines, Jan 24, 2026
Guest on a podcast titled “Are We Alone?” (published on Spotify), Dec 2025
Resource speaker for Philippine Astronomy Week 2024 led by PAGASA, Philippines, Feb 2024
Featured by Pinoy Scientists (Jan 2023)
Resource speaker for Science Week at De La Salle Integrated School, Philippines, Mar 2022
Resource speaker for the Philippine Science High School–Western Visayas Campus, Philippines, Mar 2021
Courtesy call with the Director of the Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA), Mar 2021
Invited speaker at the National Institute of Physics, University of the Philippines Diliman (UPD), Jan 2020
Astronomy Over Coffee (self-funded astronomy event), UP Diliman Hotel, Sep 2019
Founder of the Filipino Astronomy Community (FAC; 2016)
Invited speaker at Philippine Rural High School, Los Baños, Philippines, Apr 2014
Invited speaker at St. Joseph’s Academy Sariaya (SJASQ) High School, Philippines, Apr 2013
Affiliations and Services
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society (MNRAS; Impact Factor: 4.8; active referee)
SPACETIDE Foundation (spacetide.jp; active intern, 2022–present)
Science Integrated Direction for High School Investigators (SIDHI; mentor, 2022–present)
Science and Technology Advisory Council–Japan Chapter (STAC-J; member, 2019–present)
Exoplanet Follow-up Observing Program (ExoFOP; member, 2018–present)
Association of Filipino Students in Japan (AFSJ; president, 2017–2018)
Association of Filipino Scholars in Taiwan (AFST; founding member, 2014)
Gawad Kalinga (volunteer, 2009–2013)