New Postdoc

New Postdoc

Thu May 3rd, 2012
Helen Hill

Dr. Kristen Miller in Newfoundland standing on a surface covered with ediacarn fossilsKristen Miller joins Roger Summons' Group having just finished her Ph.D. at University of Maryland. Kristen's advisor at UMD was Jay Kaufman and the title of her dissertation, which  focused on stable isotope and molecular fossil signatures from a Precambrian glaciogenic sequence from Brazil titled was “An Integrated Isotopic and Biomarker Analysis of the Glaciogenic Vazante Group, Brazil”.

Miller's research interests include the use of biosignatures to better understand the interactions between biology and environmental changes through early Earth history.  She is also interested in applying biomarker research to the search for past or present life on other planets.  The current project that she is working on with Roger at MIT will focus on evaluating and quantifying matrix effects for the detection of trace organics in pure and natural Mars analogue samples.  This work is intended to provide scientific support for the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) mission, which is scheduled to land on Mars in August 2012.  

In her spare time Kristen enjoys rock climbing and hiking.

You can find Kristen in E15-608 - though that may change later in the summer. Her email is miller_k@mit.edu.