Ádám Sódor is an astronomer and has been a researcher at the Konkoly Thege Miklós Astronomical Institute, part of the HUN-REN Research Centre for Astronomy and Earth Sciences, since 2005. He is a senior research fellow and serves as the Centre’s data steward. His scientific focus is the photometric and spectroscopic study of pulsating variable stars, using both ground- and space-based telescopes. He regularly conducts observations with the instruments of the Piszkéstető Observatory. In addition to variable stars, he also contributes to research on binary stars, supernovae, and asteroids.

He is deeply committed to clear and accurate science communication. As both an author and translator, he has published nearly 500 popular science articles on astronomy for Csillagászat.hu and the news portals of the European Southern Observatory. He has also translated numerous popular science books for children and adults into Hungarian. Beyond astronomy, he is passionate about electronics, IT, and programming, and holds a technician’s qualification in the field.

His technical mindset, strong commitment to secure data management, and broad knowledge base support his work as a data steward. His main role is to promote the adoption of FAIR data management practices, aligned with open science principles, among his colleagues at the HUN-REN Research Centre.

“I find it important to encourage my fellow researchers to store valuable archival data—currently preserved in single copies on USB drives, DAT tapes, or CDs—in safer and more durable ways. Clearly, this calls for more unified, centralized institutional IT support, and I’m working to help establish that.”