My group’s research is most noteworthy for its exploration of the isotopic structures of molecules, which record the mechanisms, conditions, and substrates of molecular synthesis or history of reaction for virtually any compound, and can serve as highly specific forensic ‘fingerprints’. Our contributions include invention of enabling technologies, study of fundamental chemical principles governing molecular isotope structures, and applications to many areas of Earth, environmental, biological and planetary sciences. Highlights include measurements of the body temperatures of dinosaurs, and reconstructions of the climate histories of the ancient Earth and Martian surfaces.
Awards and Achievements
- Member of the National Academy of Sciences
- Fellow of the American Geophysical Union
- Geochemical Society
- Geological Society of America and Mineralogical Society of America, and recipient of the MSA award, the Macelwane medal of the AGU, the Epstein medal of the Geochemical Society, and the Dana medal of the GSA