Matteo Paz
Matteo Paz (born 2006 or 2007) is an American astronomer who developed an artificial intelligence model that identifies celestial objects.
Biography
Before enrolling at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Paz attended Pasadena High School in Pasadena, California, where he participated in the Math Academy Program. This allowed him to receive the equivalent of a undergraduate degree in mathematics while in high school. In the summer of 2022, he joined the California Institute of Technology's Planet Finder Academy, where he was mentored by J. Davy Kirkpatrick and Andrew Howard.
Paz and Kirkpatrick analyzed NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer's dataset. Paz began building an AI model that could analyze the dataset and identify objects in space. In six weeks, the model was capable of identifying such objects. By 2024, it had flagged 1.5 million candidate objects.
In March 2025, Paz won first place in the Regeneron Science Talent Search for his AI model at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C., and received the $250,000 prize.
Paz works at the Infrared Processing and Analysis Center.
Awards and honors
* 2025 Regeneron Science Talent Search
Bibliography
* A Submillisecond Fourier and Wavelet-based Model to Extract Variable Candidates from the NEOWISE Single-exposure Database (, 2024). DOI: .<ref name=":2" />
Biography
Before enrolling at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Paz attended Pasadena High School in Pasadena, California, where he participated in the Math Academy Program. This allowed him to receive the equivalent of a undergraduate degree in mathematics while in high school. In the summer of 2022, he joined the California Institute of Technology's Planet Finder Academy, where he was mentored by J. Davy Kirkpatrick and Andrew Howard.
Paz and Kirkpatrick analyzed NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer's dataset. Paz began building an AI model that could analyze the dataset and identify objects in space. In six weeks, the model was capable of identifying such objects. By 2024, it had flagged 1.5 million candidate objects.
In March 2025, Paz won first place in the Regeneron Science Talent Search for his AI model at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C., and received the $250,000 prize.
Paz works at the Infrared Processing and Analysis Center.
Awards and honors
* 2025 Regeneron Science Talent Search
Bibliography
* A Submillisecond Fourier and Wavelet-based Model to Extract Variable Candidates from the NEOWISE Single-exposure Database (, 2024). DOI: .<ref name=":2" />
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