My research interests are in extrasolar planet habitability, atmosphere modeling and characterization. Specifically, I use 1-dimensional and 3-dimensional climate and photochemical models to determine the conditions needed for a terrestrial planet to sustain liquid water on it's surface. Life, as we know it, requires liquid water; therefore, finding worlds around other stars and identifying the signatures of surface water can potentially allow us to discover extraterrestrial life. I am also interested super-Earth and mini-Neptune atmospheres, and their characterization. There are no such planets in our solar system, so they provide an excellent opportunity to study planets that are totally new to us.
I am also interested in identifying technosignatures. Just as biosignatures are signs of biology, technosignatures are a signs of technology. This field is in it's nascent stage (just like biosignatures was several decades ago), so its a good time to get involved.
EDUCATION
Louisiana State University (LSU), Baton Rouge, LA
Ph.D. in Physics, December 2006
M.S. (Physics), LSU, May 2003
M.Sc.(Physics), University of Pune, India, June 1998
B.Sc. (Electronics), Nagarjuna University, India, June 1996
Awards: NASA Exceptional Scientific Achievement Medal, 2020
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Co-Lead, Sellers Exoplanet Environment Collaboration (SEEC)
Science-PI: CHAMPs Team.
2015 – Present: Planetary Scientist, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
9/2013 – 08/2015: Research Associate, Planetary Science, Pennsylvania State University (Penn State)
9/2010 – 8/2013: Postdoctoral Scholar, NASA Astrobiology Institute’s Virtual Planetary Lab, Penn State 9/2007 – 8/2010: Posdoctoral Scholar, Center for Gravitational-Wave Astronomy, Penn State
1/2007 – 7/2007: Postdoctoral Scholar, Center for Computation and Technology, LSU
RESEARCH INTERESTS
Extrasolar planets: habitability, atmospheric modeling and characterization, planetary transit analysis.