Christopher
Prainito

Hi there! I'm a senior at Harvard College studying physics and mechanical engineering. At Harvard, I'm the Chief Engineer for the Satellite Team (SEDS) and the Astrophotography Chair for the Student Astronomers at Harvard-Radcliffe (STAHR).

Over the past few years, I have been involved in several research projects. In 2021, I designed and developed a novel biosensor for detecting SARS-CoV-2 in saliva. In 2023, I spent the summer as an undergraduate researcher in Harvard's Semeghini Lab, where I worked on designing and building optical systems for a dual-species, neutral atom array experiment. In 2024, I spent the summer as an undergraduate researcher in Stony Brook University's Ultrafast & Near-field Infrared Laboratory (UNI-Lab), where I worked on developing a novel interferometric feedback system for THz scanning near-field optical microscopes (SNOM). Since 2025, I have been working in Harvard's Argüelles Group, where I am designing, simulating, and building specialized hardware and software for a water-Cherenkov calibration system to validate new Digital Optical Modules (DOMs) for the IceCube Neutrino Observatory.

In my free time, I enjoy working on DIY projects, capturing images of nebulae and galaxies within the night sky, tracking and communicating with satellites using amateur radio, and more. I also enjoy playing musical instruments, including the oboe, saxophone, and organ/piano.