Raisha Rahman

I am a third year PhD student in chemical oceanography at the University of Washington. I am originally from Saugus, Massachusetts and I graduated with a degree in Chemistry and Earth & Planetary Sciences from Harvard University in 2023. During and after college, I did research on compound-specific isotope analysis of amino acids in photosynthetic bacteria, in order to elucidate patterns of cellular nitrogen allocation. At the University of Washington, I work with Dr. Anitra Ingalls in her marine metabolomics research group, using high resolution liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry to study lipid compounds produced by the gut microbiota of midwater fish and to interrogate their influence on marine organic matter pools. Amongst the diverse disciplines within the field of astrobiology, I am most interested in studying unique microbial metabolisms and life strategies, in the context of the origins and evolution of life. It fascinates me how organisms modulate their activity to survive in extreme environments, in order to interact with other organisms, or in response to environmental changes. In my free time, I enjoy reading, exploring Seattle on public transit, and partaking in very bad graphic design.