Astrobiologist of the Month

JANET SIEFERT
“I am an astrobiologist at Rice University since 1997. It has been my privilege to be a part of the Department of Statistics there and have been funded by NSF and NASA primarily in the field of bioinformatics. For fifteen years, I have worked in an incredible field site in the northern Mexico, Cuatro Cienegas. A living laboratory with freshwater stromatolites and an endemism equal to the Galapagos, it has proven to be a wonderful proxy for understanding the evolution of microbial communities. For a good summary of my astrobiology philosophy: link.”

Position

Associate Research Professor at Rice University

Career Pathway

PhD at University of Houston, graduated in 1997

Research Topics

Bioinformatics and Microbial Evolution

Why did you decide to become an Astrobiologist?

I came into science (after having three sons) at a time when bioinformatics and origin of life questions were at a crossroads. This happened because of increased funding with NASA but, also, because the ability to sequence many organisms very fast became a reality. I very much liked the international and multidisciplinary aspect of Astrobiology and worked hard to be part of teams that supported the discipline.

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

#computersrock

Are you accepting students?

I am willing to offer advice.