Astrophysicist and aerospace engineer who has served as science consultant to the Star Trek franchise since late 2019, beginning with the third season of Discovery.
Erin Macdonald is an astrophysicist, aerospace engineer and science fiction consultant. She studied physics and mathematics at the University of Colorado Boulder and took a doctorate in astrophysics at the University of Glasgow, where her research concerned gravitational waves.
She began consulting for Star Trek in late 2019 and was announced as science adviser from the third season of Star Trek: Discovery, working with the writers on the physics behind stories such as the Burn. Her role extends across the franchise's series rather than a single programme.
Macdonald made cameo appearances in both seasons of Star Trek: Prodigy, and a character called Dr. Erin Macdonald was added to the game Star Trek Online in 2023.