Early Habitable Environments and the Evolution of Complexity Principal Investigator - David J. Des Marais

AMES TEAM NEWS AND HIGHLIGHTS


NASA SELECTS “AMES RESEARCH CENTER TEAM” FOR ASTROBIOLOGY INSTITUTE

Ames Research CenterNASA awarded five-year grants, averaging seven million dollars each, to 10 research teams from across the country to study the origins, evolution, distribution, and future of life in the universe. According to Carl Pilcher, director of the NASA Astrobiology Institute (NAI), “The research of the new teams reflects the increasing maturity of astrobiology. They are focused on fundamental questions of life in the universe, but their work has implications for all of science. The research of these teams, together with that of the four continuing institute teams, will bridge the basic science of astrobiology to NASA's current and planned space exploration missions.”

David Des Marais has been Principal Investigator of the Ames Team since the inception of the Institute a decade ago. He will continue to lead the Ames Team over the next five years as they conduct a program of integrative, mission-enabling research to investigate the creation and distribution of early habitable environments in emerging planetary systems.

Congratulations to the Ames Team and to all of the NAI teams, both new and continuing, as NAI moves into its second decade of multidisciplinary research.



NAI AMES TEAM SCIENTISTS RECEIVE AWARDS

David Des Marais David Des Marais has been elected Fellow of the American Geophysical Union (AGU) in recognition of his contributions to biogeochemistry and astrobiology. This designation is conferred upon not more than 0.1 percent of all AGU members in any given year. Des Marais was recognized at the 2008 Joint Assembly of AGU held May 27-30 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. (David.J.DesMarais@nasa.gov)




Lou AllamandolaLou Allamandola has been ranked among the top living chemists based on his research accomplishments. Living chemists have been ranked in a league table based on what some argue is the fairest measure of research achievement ever devised. The chemists were ranked by h-index, a number invented by physicist Jorge Hirsch in 2005 to measure research impact. Allamandola’s h-index is 53, ranking him among the top 430 chemists in the world. (Louis.J.Allamandola@nasa.gov)


Jack LissauerJack Lissauer received the 2007 Chambliss Astronomical Writing Award from the American Astronomical Society for their advanced astronomy textbook, "Planetary Sciences." The award is given for "astronomy writing for an academic audience, specifically textbooks at either the upper division undergraduate level or the graduate level." (Jack.Lissauer@nasa.gov)