4800 Oak Grove Drive
M/S 183-301
Over the last decade, Dr. Bryana Henderson has used mass spectrometry and spectroscopy to study reactions in extreme environments. Since arriving at JPL as a NASA Postdoctoral Fellow in 2012, she has studied chemistry of organics and prebiotic molecules in astronomical and planetary analogs, particularly focusing on understanding chemical evolution in icy, radiation-drenched environments like those found on Jupiter’s moon Europa. She is also working to develop new robust instrumentation for sensitive detection of organics in these challenging planetary environments. With wide-ranging applications of this work, her ultimate goal is to contribute towards understanding of the origins of life and habitability in our solar system and beyond.