The 2026 ESA Distinguished Lecture will feature Dr Hakim Atek, who is an Associate Astronomer at the Institut d'astrophysique de Paris (IAP) in France. He received his Masters in astronomy and astrophysics from the University Pierre & Marie Curie (Paris VI), and his Ph.D. in astrophysics in 2010 from the University Paris VI and the University of Geneva. He was a postdoctoral researcher at Caltech for three years before moving to Switzerland for a postdoctoral position at the Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL). During that period he also spent one year as an associate research scientist at Yale University. He moved to a permanent position at the IAP in 2017.

Dr Atek is primarily interested in the reionization of the Universe and the formation and evolution of galaxies across cosmic time. He is at the forefront of observational studies with JWST and ESA’s Euclid mission. In addition to his leadership of JWST science in gravitationally-lensed fields (e.g. GLIMPSE), he is leading a large group within the Euclid Consortium to further probe the primordial universe. 

Title: The Rise of the First Galaxies
Abstract: Understanding the formation conditions and mechanisms of the first stars, the first galaxies, and black holes requires a comprehensive census of both the faintest and the brightest sources in the early universe. In this lecture, we explore how the powerful synergy between space telescopes is revolutionizing our view of the early Universe.

By combining gravitational telescopes with the JWST, lensing-assisted surveys have obtained the deepest view of the distant universe. These observations allow the identification of the faintest sources ever observed and provide stringent tests for galaxy formation models, which have never been tested in this uncharted territory. This also offers a new window into the nature and the powering mechanism of the enigmatic little red dots (LRDs) and a glimpse of intermediate black hole populations at early epochs. These sub-luminous galaxies and faint active galactic nuclei (AGN) are critical to determining the true budget of ionizing photons during the first billion years. I will also discuss current efforts and prospects for identifying the first generation of stars (Pop III). Complementing these ultra-deep pencil-beam views, the Euclid mission provides an unprecedented wide-area perspective. By scanning thousands of square degrees, Euclid is currently assembling a large sample of the rarest, most luminous galaxies and bright quasars at z>6, which allows us to trace the spatial topology and timing of cosmic reionization, map the growth of early structures, and provide a better picture of this global phase transition of the Universe.

The ESA Office at STScI established the ESA Distinguished Lecture series in 2021. The series aims to showcase the science from ESA missions, recognize leading European astronomers, and foster collaborations in the broader international community. Each lecture features an in-person visit to STScI, during which the Distinguished Lecturer has the opportunity to meet with staff, students and postdocs. The lecture will be held at STScI in the Bahcall Auditorium.