People
Leadership
Jacob Haqq-Misra

Position
Director of BMSIS / Senior Research Investigator
Education
Ph.D. Meteorology & Astrobiology, M.B.A.
Research Interests
planetary habitability · atmospheric dynamics · space settlement · technosignatures · environmental ethics
Other
Chief Operating Officer and Co-founder of Blue Marble Space
Location
Clayton, Delaware
Email
Website
Sanjoy Som

Position
CEO of Blue Marble Space / Senior Research Investigator
Education
Ph.D. Planetary Sciences & Astrobiology
Research Interests
Evolution of air pressure · Co-evolution of Earth and life · Water-rock interactions · Life independent of light · Public outreach
Other
Exobiology research scientist at NASA Ames Research Center
Location
Mountain View, California
Email
Website
Graham Lau

Position
Communications & Marketing Director / Senior Research Investigator
Education
Ph.D. Geological Sciences & Astrobiology
Research Interests
astrobiology · geochemistry · Earth system science · philosophy of science fiction · communication studies
Location
Boulder, Colorado
Email
Website
Anamaria Berea

Position
BMSIS Reprsentative / Research Investigator
Education
Ph.D. Economics & Ph.D. Computational Social Sciences
Research Interests
complex systems · economics · data science · biosignatures · technosignatures · astrobiology
Other
Ronin Institute Scholar; Research Affiliate, Complex Adaptive Systems Lab University of Central Florida; Arch Mission Foundation Advisor; METI International Advisor
Email
Website
Research Scientists
Dimitra Atri

Position
Senior Research Investigator
Education
Ph.D. Physics
Research Interests
Mars · Exoplanets · Planetary Habitability · Human Spaceflight · Space Weather
Location
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Other
NYU Abu Dhabi
Email
Website
Jennifer Blank

Position
Senior Research Investigator
Education
Ph.D. Geochemistry
Research Interests
Mars Curiosity mission · biogeochemistry · prebiotic chemistry · experimental petrology and fluid geochemistry · stable isotope geochemistry
Location
Mountain View, California
Other
Senior Researcher in the Division of Space Sciences & Astrobiology at NASA Ames Research Center
Email
Chris Butch

Position
Senior Research Investigator
Education
Ph.D. Chemical Engineering
Research Interests
Nucleic Acids · Biochemistry · Prebiotic Chemistry · Drug Design · Machine Learning
Location
Atlanta, Georgia
Other
Research Fellow at Earth Life Science Institute and Emory University
Email
Website
Henderson (Jim) Cleaves

Position
Senior Research Investigator
Education
Ph.D. Chemistry & Biochemistry
Research Interests
origins of life · prebiotic chemistry · astrobiology · primitive self-replicating molecules · organic synthesis
Location
Washington, D.C.
Other
Chair and Professor, Department of Chemistry, Howard University
Email
Website
Ivan Paulino Lima

Position
Senior Research Investigator
Education
Ph.D. Biophysics
Research Interests
astrobiology · extremophiles · microbiology · synthetic biology · science communication
Location
Mountain View, California
Other
NASA Postdoctoral Program Fellow
Email
Website
Rafael Loureiro

Position
Senior Research Investigator
Education
Ph.D. Botany
Research Interests
applied plant physiology · space horticulture · plant pigment and planetary co-evolution · science policy
Location
Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Other
Assistant Professor of Botany at Winston-Salem State University
Email
Omer Markovitch

Position
Senior Research Investigator
Education
Ph.D. Chemistry
Research Interests
origin of life · prebiotic evolution · systems chemistry · water structure and dynamics · computational chemistry
Location
Groningen, The Netherlands
Other
Postdoctoral Researcher at University of Groningen
Email
Website
Shawn McGlynn

Position
Senior Research Investigator
Education
Ph.D. Biochemistry
Research Interests
sulfur isotope fractionation · microbial ecophysiology · cell interfaces and electron transfer · metalloproteins · origin of life
Location
Tokyo, Japan
Other
Associate Professor, ELSI, Institute of Science Tokyo
Email
Website
Milena Popovic

Position
Senior Research Investigator
Education
Ph.D. Biochemistry
Research Interests
astrobiology · origin of life · RNA world · in vitro evolution · RNA structure and function
Location
Mountain View, California
Other
NASA Postdoctoral Program Fellow at NASA Ames
Email
Andro Rios

Position
Senior Research Investigator
Education
Ph.D. Chemistry
Research Interests
organic chemistry · prebiotic chemistry · astrobiology · chemical education · metabolic diseases
Location
Mountain View, California
Other
Exobiology Branch at NASA Ames Research Center & Chemistry Lecturer at CSU Monterey Bay
Email
Website
Juan Carlos Chavez

Position
Research Investigator
Education
Ph.D. Information Science
Research Interests
Digital Divide · Information Poverty · Indigenous Systems of Knowledge · Indigenous Technologies · Astrobiology and Indigenous Origins of Life
Email
Shiladitya DasSarma

Position
Research Investigator
Education
Ph.D. Biochemistry
Research Interests
Extremophiles · Astrobiology · Biotechnology · Biomedical Applications · Climate Action
Location
Baltimore, Maryland
Other
Professor, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, and Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology, University System of Maryland, Baltimore, MD USA
Email
Website
Jihua Hao

Position
Research Investigator
Education
Ph.D. Geochemistry
Research Interests
Early Earth surface environments · Origins of life · Habitability of other planetary oceans · Photochemistry under planetary conditions · High temperature and pressure aqueous geochemistry
Location
Hefei, China
Other
Professor, University of Science and Technology of China
Email
Website
Tony Z. Jia

Position
Research Investigator
Education
Ph.D. Chemistry
Research Interests
Prebiotic Chemistry · Astrobiology · DNA/RNA Sequencing · Nanomaterials/Self-Assembly · Membraneless Compartments
Location
Tokyo, Japan
Other
Earth-Life Science Institute at Institute of Science Tokyo (formerly Tokyo Institute of Technology)
Email
Website
Cassandra Juran

Position
Research Investigator
Education
Ph.D. Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering
Research Interests
Stem Cell Biology · Bioengineering · Mechanotransduction · Single Cell Comics · Regenerative Medicine · Aerospace Physiology
Location
Mountain View, California
Other
NASA Postdoctoral Fellow
Email
Fathi Karouia

Position
Research Investigator
Education
Ph.D. Biology
Research Interests
Space Biology · Astrobiology · Omics · Space Technologies · Human Spaceflight
Location
San Francisco, CA
Other
NASA Ames Exobiology Branch and Space Research Within Reach
Email
Website
Rakesh Mogul

Position
Research Investigator
Education
Ph.D. Biological & Organic Chemistry
Research Interests
extremotolerance · planetary protection · spacecraft-associated microorganisms · biochemistry · lipoxygenase structure & function
Location
Pomona, California
Other
Professor at Cal Poly Pomona & Director of NASA/CSU Spaceward Bound
Email
Website
Scott Perl

Position
Research Investigator
Education
Ph.D. Geological Sciences & Geobiology
Research Interests
Astrobiology · Planetary Geology · Geobiology · Mineralogy · Habitability
Location
Pasadena, California, USA
Other
Research Scientist, Geobiology & Astrobiology, Caltech / NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory · Research Affiliate, Mineral Sciences, Los Angeles Natural History Museum
Email
Website
McCullen Sandora

Position
Research Investigator
Education
Ph.D. Physics
Research Interests
Habitability · Cosmology · Planetary Science · Quantum Field Theory · Data Science
Location
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
Email
Daniella Scalice

Position
Research Investigator
Education
B.S. Molecular, Cell & Developmental Biology
Research Interests
astrobiology · STEM outreach · cross-cultural education · science communication
Location
Annapolis, Maryland
Other
Education and Communications Lead for the NASA Astrobiology Program
Email
Website
Svetlana Shkolyar

Position
Research Investigator
Education
Ph.D. Geological Sciences
Research Interests
astrobiology · Mars · rover missions · Raman spectroscopy · outreach & communication
Location
Greenbelt, MD
Other
Visiting Assistant Research Scientist, UMD/NASA GSFC/CRESST
Email
Website
Ken Williford

Position
Research Investigator
Education
Ph.D. Earth and Space Sciences and Astrobiology
Research Interests
Life beyond Earth · Mars sample return · Co-evolution of Earth and life · Complex systems · Consciousness
Location
Seattle, Washington
Other
Scientist, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology; Visiting Associate, Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology
Website
Tomasz Zajkowski

Position
Research Investigator
Education
Ph.D. Biochemistry
Research Interests
Origin of life · Prions · Evolution · Synthetic biology · Space microbiology
Location
California, USA
Other
University of Warsaw and Universities Space Research Association
Email
Website
Sylvain V. Costes

Position
Affiliate Research Scientist
Education
Ph.D. Nuclear Engineering
Research Interests
AI • Radiation Biology • Space Biology • Medical Imaging • Fluorescent Microscopy • Computational Biology
Location
North of Los Angeles in Southern California
Other
Chief Data and AI Officer at BioAstra Organization
Website
Moran Frenkel Pinter

Position
Affiliate Research Scientist
Education
Ph.D. Biotechnology
Research Interests
Chemical Evolution • Origins of Life • Prebiotic Chemistry • Astrobiology • Systems Chemistry
Location
Israel
Other
Assistant professor, HUJI
Website
Thaddeus D. Komacek

Position
Affiliate Research Scientist
Education
Ph.D. Planetary Sciences
Research Interests
Planetary Climate · Planetary Habitability · Atmospheric Dynamics · Planetary Evolution
Location
Oxford, UK
Other
Associate Professor, Department of Physics, University of Oxford & Adjunct Assistant Professor, University of Maryland
Website
Jack Madden

Position
Affiliate Research Scientist
Education
Ph.D. Astrophysics/M.F.A. Digital+Media
Research Interests
Planetary Habitability · Research-Based Art and Design · Art+Science Collaboration · Visual Culture · Astrobiology
Location
Pasadena, CA
Website
Mark Neyrinck

Position
Affiliate Research Scientist
Education
PhD Astrophysics
Research Interests
Connections between structures and processes on Earth and in space · Cosmology · The cosmic web of galaxies and matter · Field-based interdisciplinary astronomy learning
Location
Colorado
Other
Adjunct Professor, Dept of Physics and Astronomy, University of Denver
Website
Amber M. Paul

Position
Affiliate Research Scientist
Education
PhD Molecular Biology
Research Interests
Immunology • Genetics • Virology • Neurology • Space Biology
Location
Florida, USA
Other
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Email
Website
Lauren M. Sanders

Position
Affiliate Research Scientist
Education
Ph.D. Biomolecular Engineering and Bioinformatics
Research Interests
Machine Learning • Artificial Intelligence • Biological Systems
Location
Tehachapi, California
Website
Michael Tuite

Position
Affiliate Research Scientist
Education
PhD Environmental Science
Research Interests
Biosignatures • Mars Analogs • Open Science • Data Management • Astrobioethics,
Location
Monrovia, California (LA County), USA
Daniel Angerhausen

Position
Affiliate Research Scientist
Education
Ph.D. Astronomy & Astrophysics
Research Interests
exoplanets · astrobiology · airborne astronomy · mission design · science communication
Location
Bern, Switzerland
Other
Center for Space and Habitability Fellow at the University of Bern
Email
Website
André Antunes

Position
Affiliate Research Scientist
Education
Ph.D. Biochemistry/Microbiology
Research Interests
Astrobiology · Extremophiles · Microbial Diversity · Microbe-Mineral Interactions · Terrestrial Analogues
Location
Macau, China
Other
Associate Professor and Astrobiology Group Leader, State Key Laboratory of Lunar and Planetary Sciences, Macau University of Science and Technology (MUST)
Website
Armando Azua-Bustos

Position
Affiliate Research Scientist
Education
Ph.D. Molecular Genetics & Microbiology
Research Interests
xerophiles - astrobiology · space research · microbial ecology · extreme environments · science communication
Location
Madrid, Spain
Other
- ResearchScientist, Department of Planetology and Habitability Center of Astrobiology (CSIC-INTA), Madrid, Spain - VisitingScientist, Global Viral, San Francisco, USA. - Visiting Scientist, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Universidad Autónoma de Chile. -TED Fellow2017
Email
Website
Laurie Barge

Position
Affiliate Research Scientist
Education
Ph.D. Geological Sciences
Research Interests
origin of life · prebiotic chemistry · geochemical energetics · electrochemistry · self-organizing structures
Location
Pasadena, California
Other
Research Scientist at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Email
Website
Afshin Beheshti

Position
Affiliate Research Scientist
Education
PhD Biophysics
Research Interests
Space Biology · COVID-19 and Infectious Diseases · Cancer · Mitochondria · miRNAs
Other
COV-IRT, Broad Institute, and NASA Ames Research Center
Website
Celia Blanco

Position
Affiliate Research Scientist
Education
PhD Physics
Research Interests
Astrobiology · Origins of Life · Molecular Evolution · Prebiotic Chemistry · Bioinformatics
Location
California, USA
Other
University of California, Los Angeles
Website
William Brazelton

Position
Affiliate Research Scientist
Education
Ph.D. Biological Oceanography and Astrobiology
Research Interests
Marine Microbiology · Subsurface Biosphere · Metagenomes · Horizontal Gene Transfer · Astrobiology
Location
Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
Other
School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
Website
Julia Brodsky

Position
Affiliate Research Scientist
Education
M.S. Astrophysics
Research Interests
early astrobiology education · astrobiology · cognitive astrobiology · systems thinking in education · questioning in education
Location
Rockville, Maryland, USA
Other
Founder and Lead Curriculum Developer at Art of Inquiry - Online Space Science program for youth
Website
Alice Carron

Position
Science Communication & Education Affiliate
Education
M.S. Visual Technology
Research Interests
Interdisciplinary Studies · STEM Education and Public Outreach · Tribal Education Advocacy · Documentary Film · Multicultural Collaboration
Location
Las Cruces, New Mexico
Website
Mark Claire

Position
Affiliate Research Scientist
Education
Ph.D. Astronomy & Astrobiology
Research Interests
atmospheric chemistry · science policy · science education · biogeochemistry · planetary habitability
Location
Pittsburgh, PA, USA
Other
Academia Survivor, Vinochemist
Email
Website
Julia DeMarines

Position
Affiliate Research Scientist
Education
M.S. Space Studies
Research Interests
astrobiology · biosignatures · Titan · science communication · astrobiology education
Location
Oakland, California
Other
Science Instructor at Chabot Space & Science Center
Email
Website
Aaron Goldman

Position
Affiliate Research Scientist
Education
Ph.D. Microbiology
Research Interests
computational biology · astrobiology · bioinformatics · science education · philosophy of science
Location
Oberlin, Ohio
Other
Assistant Professor of Biology at Oberlin College
Email
Website
Lev Horodyskyj

Position
Affiliate Research Scientist
Education
Ph.D. Geosciences & Astrobiology
Research Interests
astrobiology · science communication · digital education · soils · planetary habitability
Location
Campinas, Brazil
Other
Email
Website
Afshin Khan

Position
Affiliate Research Scientist
Education
Ph.D. Environmental Science
Research Interests
Astrobiology · Space Biology
Location
Cleveland, Ohio
Other
Postdoctoral Fellow at Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic
Email
Website
Katya (Ekaterina) Khramtsova

Position
Affiliate Research Scientist
Education
PhD Molecular Pathogenesis and Molecular Medicine
Research Interests
Genomics · Drug Discovery and Development · Bioethics · Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Healthcare · STEM Education and Outreach
Location
Wellington, New Zealand
Website
Mike Kubo

Position
Affiliate Research Scientist
Education
B.S. Chemistry
Research Interests
astrobiology · subsurface biosphere · science education · analytical chemistry · isotopic analysis
Location
Mountain View, California
Other
Lab Manager & Technician at SETI Institute/NASA Ames Research Center
Email
Website
Mike Lee

Position
Affiliate Research Scientist
Education
Ph.D. Biology
Research Interests
bioinformatics · microbial ecology · microbial evolution · deep biosphere · space biology
Location
Mountain View, California
Other
NASA Space Biology Fellow
Email
Website
Jeff Marlow

Position
Affiliate Research Scientist
Education
Ph.D. Geobiology
Research Interests
microbiology · metabolic activity · methane seeps · proteomics · extremophiles
Location
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Other
Assistant Professor of Biology, Boston University
Email
Website
Haritina Mogosanu

Position
Affiliate Research Scientist
Education
M.S. International Security & M.S. Environmental Management
Research Interests
astrobiology education · planetary protection · international security · cultural astronomy · science communication
Location
Wellington, New Zealand
Other
Biosecurity Risk Analyst at the Ministry for Primary Industries
Email
Siddharth Pandey

Position
Affiliate Research Scientist
Education
Ph.D. Space Systems Engineering
Research Interests
Mars exploration · sample acquisition · in-situ resource utilization · mission design · aerospace engineering
Location
Perth, Australia
Other
Director, Mars Society Australia
Email
Website
Rolando Perez

Position
Affiliate Research Scientist
Education
PhD Bioengineering
Research Interests
Bioengineering for People and Planetary Health · Space Exploration · Scientific Discovery
Location
NASA Ames Research Center
Carl Pilcher

Position
Affiliate Research Scientist
Education
Ph.D. Chemistry & Masters of Public Affairs
Research Interests
astrobiology · cancer
Location
Sebastopol, California
Email
George Profitiliotis

Position
Affiliate Research Scientist
Education
PhD in Planetary Protection Policy Valuation
Research Interests
Futures Studies · Technosignatures · Conceptual and Societal Aspects of Astrobiology · Planetary Protection Policy · Monster Theory
Location
Greece
Website
Sukrit Ranjan

Position
Affiliate Research Scientist
Education
Ph.D. Astronomy & Astrophysics
Research Interests
Early Earth · Prebiotic Chemistry · Atmospheric Biosignatures · Atmospheric Photochemistry · Radiative Transfer
Other
Through 08/31/2020: SCOL Postdoctoral Fellow (EAPS, MIT); Visiting Scholar (CIERA, Northwestern University) ··· From 09/01/2020: CIERA Postdoctoral Fellow (Northwestern University); Visiting Scientist (EAPS, MIT)
Email
Website
Edward “Eddie” Schwieterman

Position
Affiliate Research Scientist
Education
Ph.D. Astronomy & Astrobiology
Research Interests
Astrobiology · Exoplanets · Biosignatures · Spectral Modeling · Science Outreach
Location
Riverside, California
Other
Assistant Professor of Astrobiology at UC Riverside
Email
Website
Lauren Seyler

Position
Affiliate Research Scientist
Education
Ph.D. Biological Oceanography
Research Interests
microbial ecology · origin of life · exobiology · biological oceanography · geomicrobiology
Location
Woods Hole, Massachusetts
Other
Postdoctoral Researcher at Michigan State University
Email
Website
Harrison Smith

Position
Affiliate Research Scientist
Education
PhD Geological Sciences
Research Interests
Astrobiology · Life Detection · Complex Systems · Origins of Life · Mission Design
Location
Tokyo, Japan
Other
Specially Appointed Associate Professor, Earth-Life Science Institute at Institute of Science Tokyo (formerly Tokyo Institute of Technology)
Jessica Snyder

Position
Affiliate Research Scientist
Education
PhD Mechanical Engineering
Research Interests
Biofabrication on Orbit · Tissue Engineering · Astropharmacy · Directed Evolution
Location
San Francisco, CA
Other
Co-founder / Head of Science of Odyssey SpaceWorks
Website
Marianne Steele

Position
Science Communication & Education Affiliate
Education
PhD Physiology/Psychology
Research Interests
Mentoring · Space Science · Outreach and Education to the Community – All Ages · Citizen Science · Teacher Support
Location
San Francisco Bay Area
Sarah Treadwell

Position
Science Communication & Education Affiliate
Education
Current Doctoral Student in Communications
Research Interests
Science Communication · Organizational Communications · New Media and Social Media · Astrobiology · Earth Science
Location
Rockford, Illinois
Website
Eric Wolf

Position
Affiliate Research Scientist
Education
Ph.D. Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences
Research Interests
Planetary Habitability · The Evolution of Planetary Atmospheres · Three-Dimensional Climate Modeling · Radiative Transfer · Scientific Software Development
Location
Colorado
Other
Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, University of Colorado, Boulder — NASA GSFC Sellers Exoplanet Environments Collaboration — NASA NExSS Virtual Planetary Laboratory
Email
Website
Angélica Anglés

Position
Affiliate Research Scientist
Education
PhD Astrobiology & Planetary Exploration
Research Interests
Astrobiology · Martian analog sites · Extreme environments · Planetary habitability · Public outreach
Location
Hong Kong
Other
State Key Laboratory of Lunar and Planetary Science of Macau, China, SAR (University of Science and Technology of Macau)
Website
Anindita Das

Position
Affiliate Research Scientist
Education
Ph.D. Geomicrobiology
Research Interests
Microbial Carbon Sequestration · Serpentinization and allied anaerobic microbial processes · Planetary Habitability and Origin of Life · Sustainability of Ecosystems- the microbial understanding · Microbes geodynamics
Location
Kolkata, West Bengal, India
Other
Assistant Teacher at Ramakrishna Vivekananda Mission Schools (Barrackpore, Kolkata)
Email
Website
Priya DasSarma

Position
Affiliate Research Scientist
Education
MS Microbiology
Research Interests
Haloarchaea · Astrobiology · Extremophile Microbiology · Genomics · Education & Outreach
Location
Maryland, USA
Other
University of Maryland School of Medicine
Website
Josh Goldford

Position
Affiliate Research Scientist
Education
Ph.D. Bioinformatics
Research Interests
Origin of life · metabolic evolution · microbial ecology · non-equilibrium thermodynamics · complex systems
Other
Physics of Living Systems Fellow, Massachusetts Institute of Technology · Visiting Scientist, California Institute of Technology
Website
Sasha Alexander Kaurov

Position
Affiliate Research Scientist
Education
Ph.D. Astronomy & Astrophysics
Research Interests
Applied AI · Quantitative Social Science · Public Perceptions of Science · Science Education and Outreach · Immersive Technology
Email
Website
Priscila Lange

Position
Affiliate Research Scientist
Education
Ph.D. Earth Sciences
Research Interests
Oceanography · Phytoplankton Ecology · Harmful Algal Blooms · Remote Sensing · Science Communication
Location
East Boothbay, Maine
Other
Projects funded by NOAA JPSS and CNPq (Brazil)
Email
Website
Dani Leach

Position
Science Communication & Education Affiliate
Education
MS Space Studies
Research Interests
Astrobiology · K-12 Education and Teacher Outreach · Citizen Science · Science Communication · Earth and Space Science
Other
Lakewood School District, Marysville WA
Website
Liam Longo

Position
Affiliate Research Scientist
Education
Ph.D Florida State University
Research Interests
protein evolution · protein · RNA world · liquid-liquid phase separation · evolution of metabolism
Location
Tokyo, Japan
Other
Specially Appointed Associate Professor, Earth-Life Science Institute at Institute of Science Tokyo (formerly Tokyo Institute of Technology)
Email
Website
Noah Randolph-Flagg

Position
Affiliate Research Scientist
Education
Ph.D. Earth and Planetary Science
Research Interests
Astrobiology · Hydrothermal Systems · Tectonics · Groundwater Flow · Aqueous Chemistry
Location
NASA Ames Research Center
Other
Lecturer, UC Berkeley; Exobiology research scientist at NASA Ames Research Center
Website
Kirtland Robinson

Position
Affiliate Research Scientist
Education
PhD Chemistry
Research Interests
Organic Geochemical Tracers · Prebiotic Chemistry · Planetary Habitability · Geomimicry · Europa Clipper - MASPEX
Other
School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University
Website
Mike Simmons

Position
Affiliate Research Scientist
Research Interests
Public Outreach and Education in Astronomy · Diversity in STEM
Location
Agoura Hills, California, USA
Other
International Dark-Sky Association Board of Directors · Founding Member of The Overview Institute · International Astronomical Union Working Group on Astronomy for Equity and Inclusion · African Astronomical Society Outreach Committee
Website
Craig R. Walton

Position
Affiliate Research Scientist
Education
PhD Earth Sciences
Research Interests
Origins of Life · Earth History · Biogeochemistry · Exoplanets · Meteorites
Other
NOMIS-ETH Fellow COPL Centre - ETH Zürich; Junior Research Fellow - University of Cambridge (Trinity College)
Website
Aubrey Zerkle

Position
Affiliate Research Scientist
Education
PhD Geosciences
Research Interests
Earth History · Biogeochemistry · Astrobiology · Planetary Science · Science Communication
Website
Staff Scientists
A.J. Bates

Education
Master of Arts in Teaching Chemistry (MAT Chemistry)
Research Interests
Chemical Education · Organic Chemistry · Biochemistry
Location
San Francisco, California, USA
Professor of Chemistry, Skyline College
Website
Kieran Brown

Education
BS Microbial Biology
Research Interests
Radiation Biology · Regenerative Medicine · Single-Cell 'Omics · Microbial Biology · Astrobiology
Location
Mountain View, CA
UC Berkeley Space Sciences Laboratory
Website
James Casaletto

Education
PhD in bioinformatics at UC Santa Cruz
Research Interests
Federated Machine Learning · Causal Inference · Open Science
Location
Santa Cruz, CA
Website
Jennifer Claudio

Education
MA Natural Sciences, San Jose State University
Location
NASA Ames Research Center
Thomas Dvorochkin

Education
B.S. in Cognitive Science
Research Interests
Cognitive Neuroscience · Data Science/Analytics · Cognition · Deep Learning · User Experience
Location
Milpitas, CA
Website
Crystal Han

Education
M.S. Bioinformatics
Research Interests
Bioinformatics · Data Science · Visualizations · Design · Web Development
Location
Milpitas, CA, USA
Elizabeth “Teddie” Hawkins

Education
B.S. Molecular Biology and Biochemistry
Research Interests
Space Biology · Molecular Biology · Genetic Engineering · Microbiology
Location
San Francisco Bay Area, California, USA
Website
Miloslav Karhanek

Education
PhD in Biophysics
Research Interests
Bioinformatics · Genomics · Biophysics
Location
Slovakia, Europe
Director of Bioinformatics. Biomedical Research Center, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Slovakia.
Garrett A. Roberts Kingman

Education
Ph.D. Developmental Biology
Research Interests
Astrobiology · Evolutionary Genetics · Habitability · Extremophiles · Synthetic Biology
Location
Sunnyvale, CA
Website
Stephen Lantin

Education
Ph.D. Agricultural and Biological Engineering
Research Interests
Space Biotechnology · Bioregenerative Life Support Systems · Space Ecology · Digital Twins
Location
San Francisco, California, USA
Website
Charlotte Nelson

Education
PhD in Biological and Medical Informatics
Research Interests
AI & ML · Knowledge Graphs · Multiomics
Location
Santa Cruz, California, USA
Mate Bioservices
Website
Barbara Novak

Education
PhD Biological and Medical Informatics
Research Interests
Bioinformatics · Genomics
Location
San Carlos, California, USA
Website
Kira Rienecker

Education
PhD in Integrative Neuroscience from Cardiff University
Location
NASA Ames Research Center
Susanne Schubert

Education
Ph.D. Chemistry
Research Interests
Chemistry Education · Surface Science and Thin Film Growth · Empowering Students Through Mentorship
Location
San Bruno, California
Professor at Skyline College
Website
Dunya Shuman

Education
Bachelor of Science in Biology: Concentration Cell and Molecular Biology
Research Interests
Developing and testing yeast biosensors
Location
California, USA
Website
Alexis Torres

Education
MS Bioinformatics
Research Interests
Astrobiology · Bioinformatics · Data Science · Machine Learning · Outreach
Location
San Jose, CA, USA
Website
Erick Watanabe

Education
Master's of Science
Research Interests
Software Engineering · Physics
Location
Los Angeles, California, USA
Website
Piyumi Wijesekara

Education
PhD Biomedical Engineering
Research Interests
Effects of Spaceflight Stressors on the Human Respiratory System · Engineering 3D Human Tissue Models
Location
San Francisco, CA, USA
Jihan Yehia

Education
M.S. Bioinformatics
Research Interests
Bioinformatics • Data Analysis • Genomics • Cancer Biology
Location
Tracy, California
Website
Visiting Scholars
Tushar Agarwal

Advisor
Dr. Siddharth Pandey
Education
Current Master’s Student at IISc Bangalore
Research Interests
Computational Fluid Flow · Thermal Analysis · Aerodynamic Design · Propulsion
Bengaluru, India
Website
Clayton Xavier Vanegas Aguilar

Advisor
Dr. Afshin Khan
Education
Currently pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Biology
Research Interests
Astrobiology · Astrophysics · Molecular Biology · Genetics · Astronomy
Saint Petersburg
Website
Beatriz Akiti

Advisor
Dr. Shiladitya DasSarma and Priya DasSarma
Education
Finishing an undergraduate course in Biological Sciences
Research Interests
Astrobiology · Microbiology · Synthetic Biology · Bioinformatics
São Paulo, Brazil
Website
Abrhael Basibas

Advisor
Dr. Jacob Haqq-Misra
Education
BS Biology
Research Interests
Astrobiology · Microbiology · Space Biology · Space Medicine · Space Settlement
Philippines
Chad Vanden Bosch

Advisor
Dr. Rafael Loureiro
Education
Master's degree of Biology, focus on plant physiology
Website
Taylor Burchard

Advisor
Dr. Scott Perl
Education
BS Biology earned in '22 and currently a PhD Student in Biophysics
Research Interests
Microbiology · Astrobiology · Biosignatures · Nanopores
Riverside, California, USA
Website
Daniela Caizapanta

Advisor
Dr. Jim Cleaves
Education
Graduated in Geology
Research Interests
Geochemistry · Planetary Geology · Astrogeology · Astrobiology · Chemistry
Quito, Ecuador
Website
Darwin Deivy Zambrano Castellano

Advisor
Dr. Lev Horodyskyj
Education
Undergraduate in Law (to complete at 2025) and undergraduate in Astronomy and MBBS
Research Interests
Astrobiology and Searching for Extraterrestrial Life · STEM Cell Regenerative Technology · Dark Matter · Gödel’s Incompleteness Theorems · Philosophy of Science and Determinism
Ecuadorian living in Argentina
Website
Denys Cherhykalo

Advisor
Dr. Sasha Kaurov
Education
Currently attaining Master's degree in applied mathematics
Website
Hamed Chok

Advisor
Dr. Fathi Karouia
Education
Master's Degree in Computer Science
Research Interests
AI/ML/Algorithms · Applied Mathematics · Scientific Computing · Space Biology
United States
Email
Website
Payel Das

Advisor
Dr. Angélica Anglés
Education
Currently a final year undergraduate student, majoring in Microbiology
Research Interests
Astromicrobiology · Biogeochemical Cycle · Microbes in Extreme Environments · Biosignatures · Origins of Life
Dhaka, Bangladesh
Email
Website
Niannian Ding

Advisor
Dr. Tony Jia
Education
Master's Degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Research Interests
Origins of Life
China
Website
Kelly Dobitz

Advisor
Dr. Lauren Seyler
Education
Current BSc Student in Natural Sciences (Biology)
Research Interests
Origins of Life
Gairloch, Scotland, UK
Website
Kaoutar Elasri

Advisor
Drs. Celia Blanco, Jim Cleaves, & McCullen Sandora
Education
Junior Artificial Intelligence and Biotechnology student
Research Interests
Bioinformatics · Genetics · Artificial Intelligence
Morocco, Agadir
Kory Emulut

Advisor
Dr. Cassandra Juran
Education
Current BS student in Mechanical Engineering
Research Interests
Space Exploration · Astrobiology
Florida, United States
Bora Eralp

Advisor
Dr. Shiladitya DasSarma and Priya DasSarma
Education
Undergraduate student in Molecular Biology and Genetics at Bogazici University, Turkey
Research Interests
Phylogeny · Evolution · Haloarchean
Istanbul, Turkey
Email
Website
Julia Esposito

Advisor
Dr. Henderson (Jim) Cleaves
Education
Bachelor's of Arts in Physics and Astronomy with a Biological Concentration
Research Interests
Exoplanets · Prebiotic Chemistry · Origins of Life · Habitability · Data Science
Philadelphia, PA
Website
Alexander Hope Ferdinand Ferguson

Advisor
Dr. Jacob Haqq-Misra
Education
Masters student at Saint Louis University in Missouri pursing Aerospace Engineering
Research Interests
Space Sustainability · Space Situational Awareness
Saint Louis, Missouri-USA
Website
Dylan Fernandes

Advisor
Dr. Jim Cleaves
Education
Current MEng Student in Aerospace Science and Engineering
Research Interests
Space Exploration · Space Robotics · Computer Vision · State Estimation · Motion Planning
Ontario, Canada
Website
Giane Galhard

Advisor
Dr. Lev Horodyskyj
Education
Information Systems Bachelor's student at University of São Paulo (Brazil)
Research Interests
Web Development · IoT · Technology in Space
São Paulo, Brazil
Website
Eduardo Alejandro Lozano Garcia

Advisor
Dr. Chris Butch
Education
Bachelor of Biomedical Engineering, Instituto Politecnico Nacional
Website
Rajat Bhushan Gupta

Advisor
Dr. Graham Lau
Education
Current Masters of Biology of Extreme Environments specializing in Astrobiology at the University of Naples Federico II, Napoli, Italy
Research Interests
Extremophiles · Metabolic Pathways · Early Earth Environments · Biomineralization · Science Communication
Italy
Website
Kashish Gupta

Advisor
Dr. Tony Jia
Education
Currently working on Master's in Biochemistry.
Research Interests
Origins of Life · Life Detection · Prebiotic Chemistry · Molecular Evolution · Geobiology.
Tübingen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
Website
Syeda Ameena Hashmi

Advisor
Dr. Celia Blanco
Education
Biotechnology major, Computer Science minor (5th semester)
Research Interests
Data Analysis · Bioinformatics · Microbiology and virology · Origins of Life · Astrobiology
Islamabad, Pakistan
Aadya Jha

Advisor
Dr. Anindita Das
Education
Masters in Science
Research Interests
Ecology · Evolution · Geoinformatics
Kolkata, West Bengal, India
Other
Research Scholar at Kalyani University
Email
Gülay Kaya

Advisor
Dr. Shiladitya DasSarma and Priya DasSarma
Education
Junior Molecular Biology and Genetic Student
Research Interests
Phylogeny · Evolution · Haloarchea · Astrobiology
Istanbul, Turkey
Email
Website
Aram Khoshnaw

Advisor
Dr. Shiladitya DasSarma and Priya DasSarma
Education
Bachelor of Science in Biology
Research Interests
Microbial Evolution and Genomics · Bacteria · Archaea · Space Microbiology
Slemani, Iraqi Kurdistan
Website
Ryan Kirby

Advisor
Drs. Jen Blank & Graham Lau
Education
B.A. Physics
Research Interests
Science Communication · Education · Outreach
Greater Boston Area, Massachusetts
Website
Krishnendu Ghosh

Advisor
Dr. Tomasz Zajkowski
Education
Ph.D. Cancer Immunology
Research Interests
Molecular Evolution • Cancer Biology • Immunology • Astrobiology • Space Medicine
Iowa City, Iowa
Email
Website
Praveen Kumar

Advisor
Dr. Jacbo Haqq Misra
Education
Currently in 4th year of Bachelors + Masters in Biochemical Engineering and Biotechnology from IIT(BHU)
Research Interests
Renewable energy · Biotechnology · Governance Policy · International Relations · Finance
India
Ophélie Legars-Tousignant

Advisor
Dr. Aubrey Zerkle
Education
Currently in second year of CEGEP
Research Interests
Effective Science Communication
Montréal, Québec, Canada
Luisa Lopez

Advisor
Dr. Graham Lau
Education
Current undergraduate student
Research Interests
STEM Engagement · Genetics · Cell Development · Neurobiology
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Dolly Manic

Advisor
Dr. Priscila Kienteca Lange
Education
Bachelor's in Biology from the University of the Philippines
Website
Javed Akhter Mondal

Advisor
Dr. Jim Cleaves
Education
M.Sc. in Applied Geology from University of Calcutta, India
Website
Disha Mukherjee

Advisor
Dr. Angélica Anglés
Education
Currently pursuing Integrated MSc degree
Research Interests
T Cell Biology · DNA & RNA · Virology · Epigenetics
India
Shivani Muthineni

Advisor
Dr. Angélica Anglés
Education
Bachelor's degree in Microbiology, Chemistry and Zoology
Research Interests
Extremophiles- Exobiology- Origin of Life Prebiotic Chemistry- Geo microbiology
Hyderabad, India
Website
Ruth Nichols

Advisor
Dr. Rafael Loureiro
Education
Dual Bachelor of Science in Astrobiology and Mathematical Sciences (Florida Tech '24), Master's in Global Affairs (Schwarzman Scholars, present)
Research Interests
Space Agriculture · Bioastronautics · Data Analytics · Computational Biology · Plant Sciences
Beijing
Website
Tiana Noll-Walker

Advisor
Drs. Jim Cleaves and McCullen Sandora
Education
Bachelor's Degree, Psychology and Data Science
Research Interests
Machine Learning · Data Science · AI Science · Statistics
Seattle, WA
Lorraine Oliveira

Advisor
Dr. Fathi Karouia
Education
Undergraduate Student in Sciences, Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP)
Website
Fatima Omar

Advisor
Drs. Henderson (Jim) Cleaves & McCullen Sandora
Education
Bachelor of Science (BSc) - Physics and Astrophysics
Research Interests
Physics · Astronomy · Astrobiology · Exoplanets · SETI
Manchester, UK
Website
Jonathan Oribello

Advisor
Dr. Lev Horodyskyj
Education
M.S. Bioinformatics
Research Interests
Bioinformatics · Data Analysis & Visualization
Santa Clara, California, USA
Sibsankar Palit

Advisor
Dr. Graham Lau
Education
Currently 3rd year of Bachelor of Science Honours Chemistry
Research Interests
Astrobiology · Chemistry · Biosignatures · Space Mission Design · Space Studies
Barasat, West Bengal, India
Website
Glimpse Pandey

Advisor
Dr. Mark Neyrinck
Education
Current BA Student in Mathematics and Physics
Research Interests
Complex Systems · Cosmology · Origami
Charlotte, NC, USA
Website
Christopher Patterson

Advisor
Dr. Jen Blank
Education
M.Sc Candidate (University of Guelph Controlled Environment Systems Research Facility)
Website
Meri Herrero Perez

Advisor
Dr. Sanjoy Som
Education
PhD student in the field of prebiotic chemistry
Research Interests
Prebiotic Chemistry · Origins of Life · Biogeochemistry · Science Communication · Education
Troy, NY, USA
Email
Website
Arunava Poddar

Advisor
Dr. Tony Jia
Education
Masters in Environmental Contamination and Toxicology under the Erasmus Mundus Program
Website
Sriya Pothapragada

Advisor
Dr. Celia Blanco
Education
B.S. in Bioengineering. Currently a Genetics Ph.D. student at Clemson University
Research Interests
Evolutionary Genomics · Adaptation · Biophysics
Clemson, South Carolina
Website
Nikhil Pradeep

Advisor
Dr. Fathi Karouia
Education
BS-MS (Research) in Biological Sciences at the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore
Website
Marta Puente Prada

Advisor
Dr. Cassandra Juran
Education
Currently a final-year BE student in Health Engineering (concentration in Biomedical Engineering)
Research Interests
Biomedical Engineering · Bioastronautics · Astronautics · Planetary Science
Seville, Spain
Miguel Luiz Puga

Advisor
Dr. Lev Horodyskyj
Education
Undergraduate student of Information Systems at the University of São Paulo (Brazil).
Research Interests
Biotechnology · Gamification · Space Biology
São Paulo, SP, Brazil
Website
Rabeea Rasheed

Advisor
Dr. Graham Lau
Education
Studying Psychology at the University of Management and Technology
Website
Danyal Reyaz

Advisor
Dr. Jim Cleaves
Education
Bachelor of Technology in Biotechnology with specialization in Genetic Engineering
Research Interests
Stem Cells · Genetics · Cancer · Bioinformatics · Astrobiology
India
Website
Rafael Rianço-Silva

Advisor
Dr. Jim Cleaves
Education
Master Student in Astrophysics at the University of Lisbon and Instituto de Astrofísica e Ciências do Espaço
Website
Nicole Jimeno Ruiz

Advisor
Dr. Sanjoy Som
Education
Waiting to receive my bachelor degree in Geological Engineering
Research Interests
Geochemistry · Evaporites · Planetary Mapping · Mars · Analogs
La Paz, Bolivia
Website
Juan Alberto Ruiz

Advisor
Drs. Graham Lau and Thilina Heenatigala
Education
Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences
Website
Zheen Salih

Advisor
Dr. Sasha Alexander Kaurov
Education
BA Software Engineering
Research Interests
Neuroscience and AI · AI for Science Communication · Digital Literacy in Education · Cybersecurity Awareness · Cognitive Science
Iraq Sulaymaniyah
Website
Nived Santhosh

Advisor
Dr. Fathi Karouia
Education
MS Biology
Research Interests
Ecology & Evolution · Space Biology · Life in Extreme Environments · Microbiology · Omics
Mumbai, India
Website
Serhat Sevgen

Advisor
Dr. Sanjoy Som
Education
M.Sc. Oceanography (Institute of Marine Sciences, METU)
Website
Tapaswini Sharma

Advisor
Dr. Graham Lau
Education
BSc Information Technology
Research Interests
Space Exploration · Extremophiles · AI Applications in Space Science · Science Communication · Planetary Protection
India
Website
Vinayak Shastri

Advisor
Dr. Mark Claire
Education
Currently pursuing PhD - Planetary Sciences, The Open University (UK)
Website
Annie Shelton

Advisor
Dr. Rafael Loureiro
Education
BS in Neuroscience with a minor in Plant Biology from the University of California, Riverside
Website
Allison Tee

Advisor
Dr. Celia Blanco
Education
Undergraduate junior at Stanford University studying math and computer science
Research Interests
Computer Science · Biocomputation · Neurocomputation · Machine Learning
San Francisco Bay Area, CA
Email
Website
Esin Üsküplü

Advisor
Dr. Afshin Khan
Education
4th year undergraduate student
Research Interests
Origins of Life · Physics Principles · Biology
İstanbul/ Türkiye
Website
Cynthia Elizabeth Valenzuela Chapa

Advisor
Dr. Lauren Seyler
Education
Currently final year of a Bachelor in Science on Genomic Biotechnology
Research Interests
Synthetic Biology · Astrobiology · Mycology · Microbiology · Extremophiles
Monterrey, México
Website
Ishita Verma

Advisor
Dr. Shiladitya DasSarma and Priya DasSarma
Education
BTech in Biotechnology (Currently 3rd year undergraduate)
Website
Jessica Xhumari

Advisor
Dr. Graham Lau
Education
Pursuing PhD on microbiome & space/astrobiology
Research Interests
Astrobiology · Microbiology · Science Communication · Philosophy · Consciousness
Gainesville, Florida, USA
Website
Ruixian Zhu

Advisor
Dr. Jacob Haqq-Misra
Education
Undergraduate (graduating senior | International Politics
Research Interests
Geopolitics on Mars · Mars Governance · Mars Colonization · New Order
CN/USA
Website