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Jamie Cook
Email jamie.e.cook@nasa.gov Institution Ames Research Center Address
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Current NAI Teams NASA Ames Research Center (CAN5)
NASA Ames Research Center (CAN5)
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (CAN5) Past NAI Teams NASA Ames Research Center (CAN3)
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (CAN3)About
Jamie Elsila investigates the isotopic signature of astrochemically interesting materials such as meteorites and comets, using the lab’s new gas chromatography-combustion/isotope ratio mass spectrometer (GC-C/IRMS).
She was first introduced to astrobiology as an undergraduate at Kalamazoo College, when she did a three-month Senior Individualized Project in the Astrochemistry Laboratory at NASA Ames Research Center. After graduating from Kalamazoo, she became a Peace Corps Volunteer, teaching chemistry and math at a secondary school in the small town of Masasi in southeastern Tanzania. This was a great chance to learn how to run a chemistry lab with no equipment and to see the opportunities to teach science with real-world applications. Upon returning to the U.S., she did her graduate studies in the Chemistry Department at Stanford University with adviser Richard Zare. Her graduate work involved studying the distribution, abundance, and reactions of polycylic aromatic hydrocarbons and fullerenes in a variety of terrestrial and extraterrestrial samples, primarily utilizing two-step laser mass spectrometry. She received her Ph.D. in September, 2004. Dr. Elsila returned to the Ames Astrochemistry Laboratory as a NASA Astrobiology Institute postdoctoral associate in November 2004, eight and a half years after her first experience there. After completing her postdoc and a brief stint as a Principal Investigator at the SETI Institute, she joined the Astrobiology Analytical Laboratory at Goddard in May, 2007.
Honors and Awards
NASA Postdoctoral Fellowship, 2005 -- 2006
National Research Council Postdoctoral Research Associateship, 2004 -- 2005
Franklin Veatch Memorial Fellowship, Stanford University, 2002 -- 2003
National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, 1999 -- 2001Publications
Elsila, J., Dworkin, J.P., Bernstein, M.P., Martin, M.P. & Sandford, S.A. (2007). Mechanisms of Amino Acid Formation in Interstellar Ice Analogs. Astrophys. J.(66):911-918.Ashbourn, S.F.M., Elsila, J.E., Dworkin, J.P., Bernstein, M.P., Sandford, S.A. & Allamandola, L.J. (2007). Ultraviolet Photolysis of Anthracene in H2O Interstellar Ice Analogs: Potential Connection to Meteoritic Organics. Met. Planet. Sci(42):2035-2041.Nuevo, M., Milam, S.N., Sandford, S.A. & Elsila, J.E. (2008). Formation and Photo-Stability of Pyrimidine-Based Compounds from the UV Irradiation of Pyrimidine in Ices of Astrophysical Interest. (abstract). Asia Oceania Geosciences Society (AOGS) Meeting, Busan, Korea, 16-20 June 2008.Elsila, J.E., Dworkin, J.P., Bernstein, M.P., Martin, M.P. & Sandford, S.A. (2008). Mechanisms of Amino Acid Formation in Interstellar Ice Analogs. (abstract 16-11-O). Astrobiology Science Conference 2008, Santa Clara, CA, 15-17 April 2008. Astrobiology, 8:364.Ashbourn, S.F.M., Elsila, J., Dworkin, J.P., Bernstein, M.P., Sandford, S.A. & Allamandola, L.J. (2007). Ultraviolet Photolysis of Anthracene in H2O Interstellar Ice Analogs: Potential Connection to Meteoritic Organics. Meteoritics and Planetary Science, 42:2035-2041.Elsila, J.E., Dworkin, J.P., Bernstein, M.P., Martin, M.P. & Sandford, S.A. (2007). Mechanisms of Amino Acid Formation in Interstellar Ice Analogs. Astrophys. J., 66:911-918.Elsila, J.E., Dworkin, J.P., Bernstein, M.P., Martin, M.P. & Sandford, S.A. (2007). Mechanisms of Amino Acid Formation in Interstellar Ice Analogs. The Astrophysical Journal, 660(1):911-918.Ashbourn, F.M., Elsila, J.E., Dworkin, J.P., Bernstein, M.P., Sandford, S.A. & Allamandola, L.J. (In Press, 2007). Ultraviolet Photolysis of Anthracene in H2O Interstellar Ice Analogs: Potential Connection to Meteorite Organics. Meteoritics and Planetary Science.Elsila, J.E., Hammond, M.R., Bernstein, M.P., Sandford, S.A. & Zare, R.N. (2006). UV photolysis of quinoline in interstellar ice analogs. Meteoritics & Planetary Science, 41(5):785-796.Elsila, J.E., Bernstein, M.P. & Dworkin, J.P. (2006). Studies of Amino Acid Formation by Photolysis of Interstellar Ice Analogs [Abstract]. Astrobiology, 6:116.Elsila, J.E., Hammond, M.R., Bernstein, M.P., Sandford, S.A. & Zare, R.N. (2006). UV Photolysis of Quinoline in Interstellar Ice Analogs. Meteoritics and Planetary Science, 41.Harman, P. & Elsila, J. (Submitted, 2005). Extreme Life Forms on Earth and Elsewhere [Abstract]. California Science Teachers Asociation, 2005 California Science Education Conference. Palm Springs, CA.Harman, P. & Elsila, J. (Submitted, 2005). Origins: The Big Question in Life Science [Abstract]. National Association of Biology Teachers, 2005 National Convention. Milwaukee, WI.Elsila, J.E., Hammond, M.R., Berstein, M.P. & Zare, R.N. (In Preparation, 2005). UV Irradiation of Quinoline in Interstellar Ice Analogs.Elsila, J., Bernstein, M. & Sandford, S. (2005). UV Irradiation of Aromatic Nitrogen Heterocycles in Interstellar Ice Analogs [Abstract]. 68th Annual Meteoritical Society Meeting. Gatlinburg, TN.Elsila, J. & Bernstein, M. (Submitted, 2005). UV Photochemistry of Quinoline in Interstellar Ice Analogs [Abstract]. Pacifichem. Honolulu, HI.Elsila, J. & Bernstein, M. (2005). UV Irradiation of Aromatic Nitrogen Heterocycles in Interstellar Ice Analogs [Abstract]. NAI 2005: Biennial Meeting. Astrobiology, 5:191. Boulder, CO.Bernstein, M.P., Mastrapa, R., Elsila, J. & Sandford, S. (2005). The Cheshire-cat-like behavior of 2n3 overtone of CO2 near 2.134 mm: NIR Lab Spectra of Solid CO2 H2O mixtures [Abstract]. Lecture given on April 15, 2005, at the Southwest Research Institute, Boulder, CO.Bernstein, M.P., Mastrapa, R., Elsila, J., Dworkin, J. & Sandford, S. (2005). IR Spectroscopy and Photo-Chemistry of Extraterrestrial Ices [Abstract]. Asia Oceania Geosciences Society, 2nd Annual Meeting:Abstract #58-PS-A0817. Singapore.Bernstein, M., Elsila, J., Sandford, S. & Allamandola, L. (2005). The Role of Radiation in Making Meteoritic Organics and False Biomarkers [Abstract]. Origins Meeting, McMaster University, Hamilton Ontario (http://origins.mcmaster.ca/astrobiology/).
