Staff Bios

Dr. Craig Kundrot
Dr. Craig Kundrot is the Biological and Physical Sciences Division Director in the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters. He is responsible for providing strategic direction for the division and overseeing the planning and execution of its two-pronged mission of pioneering scientific discovery and enabling human spaceflight exploration.

Diane Malarik
Diane Malarik is the Biological and Physical Sciences Division Deputy Director in the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters. She is responsible for supporting the development of the strategic direction for the division and overseeing the planning and execution of its two pronged mission of pioneering scientific discovery and enabling human spaceflight exploration.

Sharmila Bhattacharya
Dr. Sharmila Bhattacharya was selected as the Program Scientist for Space Biology in SMD’s Biological and Physical Science Division, effective August 30, 2020. Prior to this assignment, Sharmila served a one year detail as the Space Policy Advisor to the U.S. Senate Committee for Commerce, Science and Transportation. Dr. Bhattacharya had served as a Principal Investigator and scientist at NASA for many years before accepting her current position.

Lisa Carnell
Lisa Carnell is the Senior Translational Scientist and Partnerships Lead for the Biological and Physical Sciences Division in th e Science Mission Directorate.

Bradley Carpenter
Bradley M. Carpenter is the Program Scientist for Fundamental Physics in the Biological and Physical Sciences Division. He served as the Lead Scientist for the Physical Sciences Research Division of the NASA Office of Biological and Physical Research from 1996 to 2004. He worked on ISS National Laboratory implementation in the Space Operations Mission Directorate from 2005 to 2011 and was the NASA liaison to the ISS National Laboraory from 2011-2013.

Francis Chiaramonte
Dr. Francis Chiaramonte is the Program Scientist for Physical Sciences in the Biological and Physical Sciences Division. Research areas include: Biophysics, Combustion, Complex Fluids, Fluid Physics, Materials and the Physical Sciences Informatics System.

DeVon Griffin
Dr. DeVon Griffin is the Physical Sciences Program Manager in the Biological and Physical Sciences Division at NASA headquarters.

Doug Gruendel
Doug Gruendel is the Partnerships Coordinator with Biological and Physical Sciences in the Science Mission Directorate. Doug’s career has been based out of NASA Headquarters and Kennedy Space Center.

Nicki Rayl
Nicole Rayl is the Biological and Physical Sciences Space Biology Program Manager.

Kevin Sato
Dr. Kevin Sato is the Biological and Physical Sciences Program Scientist for Exploration.