Kennda Lynch

Lynch is an astrobiologist and geomicrobiologist studying life in extreme environments on Earth as models for characterizing habitable environments and searching for biosignatures on other planetary bodies. Prior to obtaining her PhD, she worked as a systems engineer for the International Space Station Program and as a research engineer for the Astromaterials and Exploration Science directorate, both at NASA Johnson Space Center. She combines engineering experience with science training to work across disciplines within the astrobiology community. Lynch’s research focuses on studying life in hypersaline environments because data suggest brines are likely ubiquitous throughout the solar system and especially on ocean worlds, are integral to habitable environments on planetary bodies.