People

People of the UK Centre for Astrobiology

UK Centre for Astrobiology Co-Directors

Charles Cockell (School of Physics and Astronomy)

Centre Co-Director

Homepage: [link]

Research Area: Life in extreme environments

email: c.s.cockell@ed.ac.uk

Sean McMahon (School of Physics and Astronomy/School of GeoSciences)

Centre Co-Director

Homepage: [link]

Research Area:  Planetary Palaeobiology Group

email: sean.mcmahon@ed.ac.uk

Rosa Santomartino (School of Physics and Astronomy/School of Biological Sciences)

Centre Co-Director

Homepage: [link]

Research Area: Microbial biofilms, life in extremes, microorganisms in microgravity

email: rosa.santomartino@ed.ac.uk

Postdoctoral scientists

Corentin Loron (School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Edinburgh) 

Royal Society Newton International Fellow Research Area: Planetary Palaeobiology

Mariangela Bonavita  (School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Edinburgh)

Research Area: Exoplanet research

Postgraduate students

Ophelia Gunn  (School of Physics and Astronomy)

Research Area: Aqueous environments on Mars

Stewart Gault  (School of Physics and Astronomy)

Research Area: Proteins in extreme/extraterrestrial conditions

Annemiek Waajen (School of Physics and Astronomy)

Research Area: Life under anaerobic conditions/use of organics by life

Yuchen Shang (School of Engineering)

Research Area: Sensors for astrobiology development

Prats Desai (School of Engineering)

Research Area: Sensors for astrobiology development

Cassie Hopton (School of Physics and Astronomy)

Research Area: Biochemistry in icy moon chemistries

Fiona Bunn (School of Biological Sciences)

Research area: bioleaching, biomining

Lab Management

Scott McLaughlin  (School of Physics and Astronomy)

Associated Academic Staff

Beth Biller (School of Physics and Astronomy)

Research Area: Exoplanet detection

Geoff Bromiley (School of Geosciences)

Research Area: Planetary interiors/Materials under extreme conditions

Ian Butler (School of Geosciences)

Research Area: Mineral formation, aqueous geochemistry, stable isotope geochemistry and the kinetics and mechanisms of geochemical processes

Ewen Campbell (School of Chemistry) 

Research Area: Astrochemistry

Valentina Erastova (School of Chemistry)

Research Area: Origin of Life, Clay mineral chemistry

Javier Martin-Torres Chaired Professor, University of Aberdeen

Visiting Fellow, University of Edinburgh

Research Area: Atmospheric physics

Paul Palmer  (School of Geosciences)

Research Area: Climate, atmospheric modeling

Simon Parsons (School of Chemistry)

Research area: Effects of pressure on molecular compounds

Ken Rice (School of Physics and Astronomy)

Research Area: Planetary discs

Colin Snodgrass (School of Physics and Astronomy)

Research Area: Comets and asteroids

Kristina Tamane (School of Geosciences)

Space Business Development Executive

Ian Underwood (School of Engineering)

Integrated nano- and micro-systems

Matjaz Vidmar  (School of Social and Political Science)

Research Area: Technoscientific Culture and Space Exploration