Astrobiologist of the Month

KRISTIN JOHNSON-FINN
“I'm a chemist / geologist with various hobbies I don't have nearly enough time to pursue (crafting, sketching, crane games, karaoke, etc.)  I like to understand how things work and how to reconstruct what currently exists in different ways based on the needs and interest of the time.”

Position
Assistant Professor of Chemistry and Chemical Biology (courtesy appt. in Earth and Environmental Sciences) at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Career Pathway
I did not start my education assuming I would become an astrobiologist!

Bachelors of Science in Chemistry (minors in geology & mathematics) from Youngstown State University [Youngstown, OH]: Youngstown State University did not offer any programs in astrobiology.  Because I was interested in interdisciplinary science, in addition to my chemistry courses I took courses in astronomy, geology, and biochemistry.  One of my geology professors went on to suggest I apply for a summer internship at LPI / NASA JSC to work on meteorite samples (which I did!).

I accidentally made an "astrobiology curriculum" for myself before I realized astrobiology was a field!

PhD in Chemistry / Organic Geochemistry at Arizona State University [Tempe, AZ]: Arizona State University had a history of astrobiology funding from NASA and an interdisciplinary group of faculty all tangentially interested in astrobiology.  I choose ASU out of several other possible chemistry PhD programs because of that astrobiology connection which opened up opportunities to participate in other astrobiology training schools and experiences moving forward.

Research Scientist Position at Earth-Life Science Institute [Tokyo, JAPAN]: After my PhD, I became a self-guided researcher at ELSI, a research institute in Japan filled with a group of researchers across disciplines all working together on interdisciplinary questions related to the origin of life on Earth.  Being at such a social institute provided many opportunities to network with other researchers who were interested in similar questions from very different perspectives.

Research Topics
Experimental design to probe kinetic and mechanistic questions for organic and mineral reactions in aqueous conditions; organic analysis and inorganic characterization; hydrothermal chemistry experiments; electrochemical techniques; thermodynamic chemical modelling for aqueous organic geochemistry; development of high temperature electrochemical techniques; astrobiology; prebiotic chemistry.

Why did you decide to become an Astrobiologist?
First and foremost, I was interested in interdisciplinary questions and the ability to have fascinating conversations with researchers in fields outside my own.  Astrobiology is exactly the kind of research field that needs a large collaborative network of researchers to move forward.  The astrobiology community, globally, is filled with an array of different enthusiastic people and ever-changing perspectives that attracted me to learn more through every experience I was lucky enough to be a part of during my education.

Additionally, astrobiologists are often interested in fields outside astrobiology and the interdisciplinary perspective gives us a useful position to pursue difficult questions and areas of research.  You can look for life on other planets AND try to solve mysteries on Earth at the same time!

If your lab/research group had a nickname, what would it be?
PENGUIN

Are you accepting students?
Undergraduate and PhD students (for more information, click here)