Dr. Karen I. Perez is a radio astronomer whose research focuses on SETI, pulsars, and transients, with a particular interest in the Galactic Center. She is the William J. Welch Postdoctoral Fellow at the SETI Institute and a Visiting Scholar at Steward Observatory. Her current work involves developing real-time, GPU-accelerated machine learning pipelines for single-pulse and technosignature searches using the Allen Telescope Array in Hat Creek, CA. 

Dr. Perez earned her PhD in Astronomy from Columbia University in 2025, where she conducted deep multiwavelength searches for pulsars in both the Galactic field and center, particularly in the X-ray and radio. She also holds a B.A in Astrophysics from Cornell University (2019) and is a previous Gates Millennium Scholar, a National Osterbrock Leadership Fellow, and a SETI Forward Awardee. As a Breakthrough Listen collaborator, she also leads observations with the Green Bank, Parkes, and Sardinia Radio Telescopes, and mentors undergraduate REU interns.