Erin F Gibbons
(NASA POSTDOCTORAL PROGRAM FELL)
| Email: | erin.f.gibbons@nasa.gov |
| Org Code: | 699 |
| Address: |
NASA/GSFC Mail Code 699 Greenbelt, MD 20771 |
| Employer: | NPP POST-DOC CONTRACT |
Brief Bio
Dr. Erin Gibbons is a NASA Postdoctoral Program Fellow at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, where she conducts interdisciplinary astrobiology research focused on the organic biogeochemistry of Mars and ocean worlds. Her work leverages Earth’s deep-time record of life and extreme environments as a blueprint for understanding the origin of life and its potential distribution across the universe. By studying how chemical biosignatures are preserved under harsh conditions, she helps develop strategies to identify habitable environments and signs of ancient life beyond Earth.
Research Interests
Origin of life
Molecular biosignatures
Planetary geology
Planetary environments
Education
- Ph.D. in Earth & Planetary Science (2023), McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- B.S. in Earth & Environmental Science (2017), McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
Professional Societies
Network for Life Detection
Early Career Council Lead
2025 - 2026
Awards
- Wolf Vishniac Memorial Award in Biogeochemistry
- Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship
Grants
Seeking Signs of Life: Using Nitrogen as a Mineral for Habitable Environments on Mars
CSA Class G&C Program to Support Research, Awareness and Learning in Space Science and Technology - Canadian Space Agency - Awarded: 0000-00-00
Dates: -
Production and Early Preservation of Biosignatures in Glaciovolcanic Lakes: A Biogeochemical Analogue for Mars
European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research And Innovation Programme | Transnational Access - European Union - Awarded: 0000-00-00
Dates: -
Selected Publications
Refereed
2024. "Assessing the feasibility of laser induced breakdown spectroscopy for detecting nitrogen in martian surface sediments.", Spectrochimica Acta Part B: Atomic Spectroscopy, 216 106932 [10.1016/j.sab.2024.106932] [Journal Article/Letter]
2022. "A Mars 2020 Perseverance SuperCam Perspective on the Igneous Nature of the Máaz formation at Jezero crater and link with Séítah, Mars.", Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets, [10.1029/2022je007440] [Journal Article/Letter]
2022. "Aqueously altered igneous rocks sampled on the floor of Jezero crater, Mars.", Science, 377 (6614): [10.1126/science.abo2196] [Journal Article/Letter]
2022. "Compositionally and density stratified igneous terrain in Jezero crater, Mars.", Science Advances, 8 (34): eabo3399 [10.1126/sciadv.abo3399] [Journal Article/Letter]
2020. "Microbial community distribution in variously altered basalts: Insights into astrobiology sample site selection.", Planetary and Space Science, 194 105107 [10.1016/j.pss.2020.105107] [Journal Article/Letter]
2020. "Data fusion of laser-induced breakdown and Raman spectroscopies: Enhancing clay mineral identification.", Spectrochimica Acta Part B: Atomic Spectroscopy, 170 105905 [10.1016/j.sab.2020.105905] [Journal Article/Letter]
Non-Refereed
2025. "Technology gaps in in situ organic matter characterization for habitability and life detection investigations.", White paper for NASA Decadal Astrobiology Research and Exploration Strategy (NASA-DARES 2025), [Other]