Dimitar Sasselov

Dimitar Sasselov is the Phillips Professor of Astronomy at Harvard University and Director of the Origins of Life Initiative, an interdisciplinary institute bridging biology, chemistry, and astronomy to explore life's beginnings. He holds affiliations with the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics and the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences. His research focuses on radiative transfer in stars/exoplanets, astrobiology, and prebiotic chemistry, particularly the role of UV light in shaping biomolecular building blocks.

He leads a photochemistry lab conducting experiments on early Earth environments, emphasizing light-matter interactions. Key projects include analyzing the CNEOS 2014-01-08 bolide spherules and studying homochirality mechanisms in RNA precursors. Publications highlight UV-driven molecular selection, exoplanet atmospheric models, and interdisciplinary origins-of-life approaches.

His work integrates field geology with lab experiments, exemplified by collaborations on Mars 2020 rover landing site analysis (Jezero Crater). Awards and grants are not explicitly listed, but his leadership roles reflect significant academic impact. Students and lab members focus on exoplanet characterization and prebiotic synthesis pathways.