Interests

• Exoplanet Demographics

• Planet Formation

• Young Transiting Planets

Rachel connects diverse observations of planetary systems to fundamental theories in planet formation. She is currently working on detecting transiting planets in young clusters and comparing the demographics of those systems with Kepler's Gyr-old population.

She is Co-Chair of NASA's ExoPAG Exoplanet Demographics Science Interest Group 2 (SIG2).

Selected Papers

• Fernandes, R.B. et al. (2025). "Are We There Yet? Challenges in Quantifying the Frequency of Earth Analogs in the Habitable Zone."

• Fernandes, R.B. et al. (2025). "Searching for GEMS: Confirmation of TOI-5573 b, a Cool, Saturn-like Planet Orbiting an M Dwarf."

• Fernandes, R.B. et al. (2019). ApJ, 874, 81. "Hints for a Turnover at the Snow Line in the Giant Planet Occurrence Rate."