Speaker's Profile

I'm a research scientist in Astrobiology at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, CA. Also affiliated with the Blue Marble Space Institute of Science in Seattle, WA and the Oak Crest Institute of Science in Monrovia, CA.

I am an expert in astrobiology and planetary science, which allows me to lead research teams to help NASA understand life in the universe. I study the emergence of life on early Earth and ways to search for life elsewhere including Mars and "ocean worlds" like Jupiter's moon Europa and Saturn's moon Enceladus. I co-lead the JPL Origins and Habitability Laboratory and I am also the Investigation Scientist for the HiRISE instrument on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.