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Keynote speaker:
Dr. Dante Lauretta
Keynote speaker:
Dr. Dante Lauretta
University of Arizona Lunar & Planetary Laboratory (LPL)
Director of the Arizona Astrobiology Center
Dr. Dante Lauretta is a Regents Professor of Planetary Science and Cosmochemistry. His research focuses on asteroid formation, mineralogy, and evolution. Dr. Lauretta is the principal investigator of NASA's OSIRIS-REx Asteroid Sample Return mission. This mission was the first in U.S. history to return a sample from an asteroid, Bennu, back to Earth.
Keynote speaker:
Dr. Matthew Powner
Keynote speaker:
Dr. Matthew Powner
University College London (UCL)
Investigator of the Simons Foundation Collaboration on the Origins of Life
Dr. Matthew Powner is a Professor of Organic Chemistry at the University College London. His research focuses on prebiotic chemistry and chemical self-assembly leading up to the origin of life. In his research, he takes a "systems chemistry" approach to understanding the origins of life, focusing on the interdependency of these reactions.
We are happy to be hosting a Careers Trajectory Panel during AbGradCon2026.
Featuring:
Dr. kathleen Craft
Dr. kathleen Craft
Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL)
Dr. Craft works on NASA's Europa Clipper mission, which will study the geology and habitability of Jupiter's icy moon, Europa. She is the principal investigator for developing communications systems for a subsurface Europa cyrobot, and Dr. Craft is also involved in instrumentation development for biosignature detection on icy worlds.
Dr. Marc Neveu
Dr. Marc Neveu
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
University of Maryland College Park
Dr. Neveu is a planetary scientist and astrobiologist. His research focuses on icy ocean worlds. He uses both modeling and lab work to understand the geophysics, geochemistry, and habitability of ocean worlds, including material alteration from subsurface oceans.
Dr. Aaron Goldman
Dr. Aaron Goldman
Professor of Biology, Oberlin College
Dr. Goldman is an evolutionary and computational biologist. His research focuses on understanding how cellular organization, genetic complexity, and metabolic enzymes first arose. In his research, Dr. Goldman leverages both phylogenetic analysis and digital life simulation to study evolutionary processes.
Dr. Solange Duhamel
Dr. Solange Duhamel
Associate Professor, University of Arizona
Dr. Duhamel is marine microbiologists and biogeochemist. Her research focuses on studying and characterizing the abundance and activity of microbes in aquatic environments. Dr. Duhamel also investigates how microbes adapt to more extreme environments to understand the potential for life to exist in similar environments elsewhere.
NASA-DARES Panel: Early Career Insights
This moderated panel will feature insights from early career researchers who have contributed to NASA’s Decadal Astrobiology Research and Exploration Strategy (DARES). NASA-DARES is NASA’s next roadmap for studying the origins, evolution, distribution, and future of life in the universe. Panelists will give a brief overview of NASA-DARES, share pertinent findings from the “Early Career and Workforce Development” chapter of the DARES report, insights on their involvement with NASA early career activities, provide resources for engaging with NASA Astrobiology, and answer audience questions. All insights and opinions will reflect solely the panelists' personal views, and they do not represent the opinion or endorsement of NASA. For more information and to read the full DARES report currently in review with NASA, visit https://science.nasa.gov/astrobiology/strategy/dares/.
Dr. Christina “Chrissy” Richey
Dr. Christina “Chrissy” Richey
Moderator
NASA Dares Focus Area 8
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