Gabriela Calistro Rivera

Gabriela Calistro Rivera is a Peruvian astrophysicist at the German Aerospace Center (DLR), where she leads a team on an ESA space mission. Holding a PhD in Astronomy, Gabriela authored over 100 peer-reviewed publications and received several international fellowships and awards. Her research explores galaxy and black hole evolution using ALMA, ESO, LOFAR and JWST data. She also founded CosmoAmautas to strengthen astronomy education in underserved regions of Peru and advocates for gender equity in science. 

Break the Wall of Science Education Inequality:
Gabriela Calistro Rivera | Project: CosmoAmautas | Falling Walls Engage Finalist 2026

CosmoAmautas is a science education initiative in Peru that uses astronomy to strengthen scientific literacy and climate awareness in underserved communities. By training teachers and building scientist–teacher networks, it integrates the scientific method and climate education into classrooms through inquiry-based learning. The project has reached over 200 teachers and 10,000 students, fostering local agency, gender equity, and long-term engagement with science, astronomy and climate action.