I co-lead the Origins and Habitability Laboratory at JPL. Visit our website for more details about our research, lab news, and facilities. 

Interested in an internship? I take several summer interns each year, but also prefer year-round interns who work part time while going to school. I typically fill my summer intern positions in the fall (October - November), and it is not unusual for people to contact me more than a year in advance. If interested, email me and tell me about your research interests and why you want to work with me in particular. 

Below are the OHL lab members currently working on projects that I supervise. 

Erika is completing her Master's degree in Environmental Engineering at CSU Los Angeles, and has a Bachelor's in Chemical Engineering from Cal Poly Pomona. She is working on prebiotic organic synthesis and phosphorus absorption in hydrothermal systems.

Ninos is completing his Master's in Geosciences at CSU Los Angeles, and has a Bachelor's in Planetary Astronomy from UC Santa Cruz and a Master's in Physics from CSU-LA. He is working on simulating temperature gradients and electrical properties in hydrothermal vents.

Laura Rodriguez earned her B.S. in Geochemistry at Rice University before obtaining her Ph.D. in Geosciences and Astrobiology at Penn State. Laura is a JPL Postdoctoral Researcher working on hydrothermal vent geochemistry, phosphorus chemistry in planetary systems, and is part of the INVADER vent exploration project.

Michelle is a STEM Teacher and Researcher fellow with degrees in Biology and Education from USC. She studies the effects of organic molecules on iron-silicate and iron-hydroxide chemical garden systems, with applications for origin of life and looking for biosignatures on other worlds.

Jonathan is a graduate student in Biogeosciences at the University of Tulsa. He is working with us on simulating phosphorus chemistry in iron and manganese mineral systems on Mars and ocean worlds.

Jessica Weber earned her Ph.D. in Chemistry from MIT and a B.S. in Chemistry from U of Chicago. Jessica is a JPL Postdoctoral Researcher exploring how protein cofactors behave under early Earth conditions.

Eduardo is a Master’s student in Civil Engineering at Cal State LA. He is working with us on making simulated hydrothermal vent chimneys in the lab, and studying nitrate and phosphate adsorption on iron hydroxides.