I’m a scientist who’s passionate about understanding the origins of life. I am also an Assistant Professor in the School of Complex Adaptive Systems and the Biodesign Center for Biocomputation, Security, and Society at Arizona State University.
Before starting the Mathis-Group, I was a Research Lab Coordinator in the Beyond Center at Arizona State University, working with Professor Sara Walker and the ELife Lab.Previously I was a NASA Astrobiology Fellow focused on on Agnostic Biosignatures and Life Detection. Prior to that I was a post doctoral researcher and Team Leader at the University of Glasgow, working in the artificial life team of Professor Lee Cronin’s lab.
With Dr. Tucker Ely and Dr. Doug Moore I co-founded 39 Alpha Research, a non-profit research organization that conducts high quality scientific research in the public interest outside traditional academic constraints.
Together with Dr. Silke Asche, Dr. Joana Xavier, and Dr. Martina Preiner I helped start the Origin of Life Early Career Network (OoLEN) which aims to accelerate progress on the origin of life by connecting the international and interdisciplinary origin of life community.
I have a PhD in Physics from Arizona State University. My disseration “On the Origin of the Living State,” was done under the supervision of Professor Sara Walker. I also have an undergraduate degree in Physics from San Francisco State University.