Luoth Chou

Dr. Luoth (Lu) Chou is an astrobiologist and instrument scientist with an interest in developing new technologies for organic biosignatures detection and characterization, and to search for life in the solar system. She is currently a Research Scientist working on the Sample Analysis at Mars instrument suite onboard the Curiosity Rover in the Planetary Environments Lab at NASA GSFC. This research is focused on characterizing the organic matter composition of Mars in search for habitability and potential signs of life. She is also focusing on the development of front-end separation technologies that can be coupled to sensitive molecular detectors such as mass spectrometers. Prior to her current position, she was a NASA Postdoctoral Program (NPP) Fellow, working with Dr. Paul Mahaffy and Dr. Sarah Stewart Johnson (Georgetown University) on the Laboratory for Agnostic Biosignatures project.

Dr. Chou received her B.S. in Microbiology from the University of Maryland at College Park, and her Ph.D. in Earth and Environmental Sciences from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Her graduate research was focused on understanding the biogeochemistry of a cryogenic microbial ecosystem in the subsurface of Antarctica, while under the supervision of Dr. Fabien Kenig.

Ph.D. Earth and Environmental Sciences (2019). University of Illinois at Chicago.

• Dissertation: "The Organic Matter of Lake Vida, Antarctica: Biogeochemistry of an Icy Planetary World Analog". Advisor: Fabien Kenig.

B.S. Microbiology (2013). (Minor: Astronomy) University of Maryland, College Park. 

• NASA Earth and Space Science (NESSF) Fellow

• NASA Goddard Solar System Exploration Directorate - Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity - Group Award (x2)
• NASA Postdoctoral Program Fellowship. March 2020.
• NASA Early Career Collaboration Award. Fall 2018. (Declined)
• NASA Earth and Space Science Fellowship. Fall 2016 - Spring 2019.
• Chancellor’s Graduate Research Fellowship. University of Illinois at Chicago. Summer 2015-16.
• On To the Future Travel Award. Geological Society of America. Fall 2015.
• LAS PhD Travel Award. University of Illinois at Chicago. Fall 2015.
• Bodmer Science International Travel Award. University of Illinois at Chicago. Summer 2015.
• Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award. National Association of Geoscience Teachers. Spring 2015.
• Graduate Research Fellowship. Illinois Space Grant Consortium (ISGC). Fall 2014.
• The Colonnade Society Undergraduate Scholarship. U of MD Alumni Association. Fall 2012.
• The College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences Scholarship. U of MD. Spr 2012.

• NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Planetary Winter School. 2021
• NASA Dragonfly Meeting Observer Program, Participant. November 2020.
• Santa Fe Institute (2 weeks). Visiting Scientist. November 2019.
• NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (10 weeks remote, 1 week on site). July 2017. Project Manager for JPL Planetary Science Summer Seminar. Mission design exercise for a Centaur Reconnaissance Mission.
• Biosignatures and the Search for Life on Mars Summer School (2 weeks). Summer 2016. Iceland.
• The International Geobiology Course (5 weeks). Summer 2015. California, Nevada, and Catalina Island.
• The History and Philosophy of Astrobiology Summer School (1 week). Summer 2015. Ven Island, Sweden.
• Josep Comas i Solà International Summer School in Astrobiology (1 week). Summer 2014. Santander, Spain.

• Teaching Assistant. University of Illinois at Chicago. (Fall 2013 - Spring 2016). Global Environmental Change. Earth, Energy, and the Environment. Stats. Methods in Earth and Environmental Science
• Teaching Assistant. Princeton University (John Hopkins Center for Talented Youth) (Summer 2013). Epidemiology.
• Teaching Assistant. University of Maryland, College Park. (Fall 2012 , Spring 2013). Principles of Microbiology.

• NASA Review Panel. Group Chief, Panelist, External Panelist, Executive Secretary (2014, 2018(x2), 2019, 2020(x3), 2021)
• Network for Life Detection (NfoLD). Early Career Council - Lead Team Member (February 2020 - present)
• Conference Organization:
• AbGradCon2022 (canceled)
• Core Organizing Committee. Coordinate, organize, plan, and co-chair the early-career focused conference in Astrobiology. Develop the scientific program, coordinate the logistics, and work to secure funding for 100+ attendees including domestic and international participants.
• Astrobiology Science conference 2022
• Session Organizer and Session Chair. "General Principles of Life: Towards understanding universal biology"
• American Geophysical Union 2020
• Session Organizer and Session Chair. “Detecting life through space and time: from geochemistry to biology” 
• Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion:
• NASA Goddard Association of Postdoctoral Scientists (NGAPS+). Member. 2021
• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Subcommittee
• NASA Mission Equity Request for Information. 2021
• Bystandard Awareness Training Workshop. 2021
• NASA Goddard SSED Diversity and Inclusion Working Group. Member. 2021
• Activities resulted in concrete action plans to address workplace disparities, reports that audit inequitable policies and climate culture, and ongoing surveys and deliverables that aim to enhance the diversity and equity of NASA
• Unlearning Racism in Geosciences (URGE). Member 2021.
• NASA Goddard Solar System Exploration Division and Georgetown University 
• Reviewer. Astrobiology, Icarus, Frontiers, Science Advances