Jolie L'Heureux is 
an astronomer. From gazing at the stars as a curious child to searching for the echoes of cosmic events, Jolie L’Heureux’s journey into astrophysics is as inspiring as the universe she studies. A graduate of Columbia University, Jolie is currently conducting post-baccalaureate research at the Faculty of Science at Masaryk University in Brno. As a Fulbright student grantee, she spends nine months hunting for electromagnetic counterparts to gravitational wave events—an effort to shed light on some of the most mysterious phenomena in the cosmos. Jolie’s love for science was first sparked during museum and library visits with her mother, and now she pays that inspiration forward through outreach: "I especially like to be involved with outreach events with younger children, to make sure that everyone has the opportunity to see the beauty of our universe and be inspired to become a scientist. For younger kids, I think it is important to share with them cool things about the world around us and help them to become curious so they can start asking questions and seek out answers on their own."
This interview is the 46th part of our Fulbright series to celebrate 30 years of the Fulbright Program in the Czech Republic. Interviews are conducted in cooperation with Ladislav Loukota from the Vědátor platform. Video recordings of all the live interviews are published on our Facebook page on the first Wednesday of every month and are available on our YouTube channel. On Fridays, we offer a written interview version on our blog.
Could you elaborate on your work on active galactic nuclei and the significance of this research in astrophysics?
To preface this answer, I’d like to start by explaining what active galactic nuclei, or AGN, are. Simply put, AGN are active super massive black holes at the center of galaxies that emit significant amounts of light and energy. One way we study AGN is by looking at the gas and dust that orbits black holes, this is called the accretion disk. My research focuses on studying the light curves of AGN, particularly in the ultraviolet (UV) spectrum. Light curves track the brightness of AGN over time, and I am looking at time lags between near-UV (NUV) and far-UV (FUV) emission. These time lags reveal critical information about the structure and size of the accretion disk. These time lags occur because light from the hotter, inner regions of the disk reaches us slightly earlier than light from the cooler, outer regions, providing a "delay" that reflects the physical distance between these regions. My research group is working on building a specialized space telescope called QUVIK, the Quick Ultra-Violet Kilonovae surveyor project, to target AGN. When the telescope observes AGN, we want it to see the most accurate time lag possible, as these lags provide more detailed and reliable insights into the physical processes at work in the accretion disk. My work is testing how often the telescope should look at an AGN in order to maximize the measurable time lag. For example: would we get a more accurate time lag if QUIVK looked at the AGN five times a day? How about three times a day, or every two days? And so on.
Photo: Jolie and two of her fellow Fulbrighters at the reception of the U.S. Ambassador in Prague, September 2024.
Can you explain how QUVIK differs from other survey telescopes and what its major benefit is for studying transient events?
Transient events are short-lived energetic astronomical phenomena, such as supernovae, that happen over brief timescales. The QUVIK project is the first Czech space telescope optimised for the ultraviolet part of the spectrum. This fills a crucial gap left by other survey telescopes that focus on optical or infrared wavelengths. Its primary mission is to study transient events. QUVIK is designed for rapid follow-up, capturing fleeting UV signals before they fade. This specialization enables it to provide critical data for multi-messenger astronomy, complementing observations from gravitational wave detectors and other space missions, and advancing our understanding of transient high-energy astrophysical phenomena.
What are some of the significant challenges you've encountered in your research and how have you addressed them?
One of the most significant challenges I have encountered is familiarizing myself with my research group’s focus on high energy astrophysics. For the last few years my research has focused on atmospheres of brown dwarfs, which are objects that bridge the gap between stars and planets. Brown dwarfs are not massive enough to sustain hydrogen fusion in their cores, as stars do, but they are also distinct from planets. I studied the chemical compositions of their atmospheres; as you can imagine this is fundamentally very different from studying AGNs and black holes.
Here I am often the youngest one in the office and surrounded by many experts in the field, so it can feel challenging at times to try to understand everything. In order to address this, I ask as many questions as I can about topics that confuse me. I also try to see the steep learning curve as an opportunity for growth, as I know that this year grants to me the privilege to continue to learn more about our ever-changing universe. Of course, it helps to have such great mentors and coworkers who have helped with any questions I have had, and that I know will continue to support me throughout the year.
How and why did you get into science? Were you thinking about other career or study alternatives at the time? What would you advise to your younger self at that point of time?
I have been interested in science for as long as I can remember. When I was younger my mom would take us to the American Museum of Natural History. It was one of my favorite places to be and I loved exploring all the outer space exhibits, seeing how much I would weigh on the moon, and watching the planetarium shows. My mom also frequently brought us to the library where I would check out as many books as I could find on different topics like galaxies and black holes. When my family moved to Florida, we were fortunate enough to live close enough to Kennedy Space Center that we could see the rocket launches from our house which was amazing. Going to public observing nights and learning the constellations was so special, and I really never considered another career outside of learning more about our universe. Chasing such an elusive goal leaves plenty of room for obstacles, some that can be quite discouraging. As such, I would tell my younger self to never give up, and to know that her curiosity will reward her if she puts in the hard work. More importantly, I would tell her that she shouldn’t pay any attention to the people who will (inevitably) try to discourage her.
What motivated you to apply for a Fulbright grant, and how has this opportunity influenced your research and professional development?
I really wanted the experience of a year of research post my bachelors degree, before applying for a PhD. In the United States a PhD is 6 years long, so Fulbright seemed like the ideal opportunity to develop my involvement in astrophysics before going straight to graduate school. Post-baccalaureate research funding is sparse for astrophysics research, so Fulbright is also really special in that way. It has given me the invaluable opportunity to see what it would be like to conduct research full time, as I will in a PhD program, and how research groups function on a day-to-day basis.
Can you share your experiences conducting research in the Czech Republic? How has collaborating with international scientists impacted your work?
It has been really cool to get to research with Masaryk University's HEA group, especially because of all the work they are doing with QUIVK. I have learned so much about the preparation and work that goes into a space mission, from developing scientific objectives to designing observational strategies.
International collaboration is extremely important in astrophysics. Oftentimes, many scientists from different countries work together to collaborate on projects, papers, and space missions. Astrophysics is a relatively small community, and within specific fields, like high-energy astrophysics, many people know each other. One of the most rewarding aspects of my experience is knowing that the relationships that I have built during Fulbright will last throughout my career. Even when I return home, I can continue collaborating with this ambitious and driven team in Brno, and can contribute to future discoveries together.
Photo: Jolie and her research group, Fall 2024, Brno.
You've been involved in several science outreach initiatives. How do you approach making complex scientific concepts accessible to the public, and why is this important to you?
I especially like to be involved with outreach events with younger children, to make sure that everyone has the opportunity to see the beauty of our universe and be inspired to become a scientist. For younger kids, I think it is important to share with them cool things about the world around us and help them to become curious so they can start asking questions and seek out answers on their own. It is important to me because science outreach events are one of the reasons that I got so interested in science. I remember when I was younger my mom would take us to the public library and they would have so many cool science events. And one time she took us to a public observing night and I got to see Saturn through a telescope. I was so amazed and could not wait to go to the library to check out more books on space. If it wasn't for other astronomers organizing these events, I don’t know if I would be studying astrophysics. Through outreach, I want to honor my experiences, and give back to the astrophysics community in a meaningful way.
Our traditional last question: What is the one thing you think everyone on Earth should know about the science you're doing?
I think that when a lot of people think about astrophysics they picture scientists looking through fancy expensive telescopes or in an observatory or a lab at NASA, but the really cool and underappreciated thing about astrophysics research is that anyone can do it, anywhere in the world, as long as they have access to a laptop. To do astrophysics research you just need some ideas and a laptop. There are also a lot of really cool citizen science initiatives that anyone regardless of background can become involved in where you can work alongside astrophysicists and contribute to important and exciting discoveries.
Photo: Jolie and her friend, and fellow Fulbright student in Prague, for the Velvet Revolution anniversary, November 2024.