Adjunct Professor, Brown University
Prof. Rothschild is an astrobiologist/synthetic biologist. She is an adjunct professor at Brown University and a research scientist at NASA Ames, specializing in molecular approaches to evolution, particularly in microbes, and the application of synthetic biology to NASA's mission. With a foundation in protistology and evolution, research interests include the early evolution of life, life in extreme environments and the search for life in the universe. In 2008 she established a program in synthetic biology for NASA and represented the Agency on the OSTP synthetic biology working group. Flight experience includes high altitude ballooning for astrobiology, the PI on the PowerCell payload on DLR’s Eu:CROPIS satellite (launched December 2018), and Co-I on ESA’s BIOMEX experiment on ISS. Extensive outreach including lectures worldwide, documentaries and a TEDx talk. She has been a NIAC (NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts) fellow five times.