Gilson worked with Optical Engineer Breann Sitarski, Ph.D., in support of the Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO)—the first telescope designed specifically to search for signs of life on planets orbiting other stars. For his research, Gilson mathematically modeled polarization aberrations in the primary mirror of a telescope. He explains that in the search for habitable exoplanets, it is essential to block extremely bright stars and observe faint reflections from exoplanets, which requires high-contrast stability maintained for long periods of time, advanced optics, and precise control.