Sukrit Ranjan

Sukrit Ranjan is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Planetary Sciences/Lunar and Planetary Laboratory at the University of Arizona. He holds a PhD in Astronomy & Astrophysics from Harvard University (2017) and a BS in Physics from MIT (2010). His research focuses on astrobiology, exoplanets, and planetary photochemistry, particularly the origins of life on Earth and the search for life elsewhere in the cosmos. He is an Affiliate Research Scientist at the Blue Marble Space Institute of Science (BMSIS) and has held postdoctoral fellowships at MIT and Northwestern University.

Ranjan's work bridges theoretical modeling and observational astronomy, addressing questions such as the environmental conditions conducive to abiogenesis and the development of observational techniques to detect biosignatures on exoplanets. He has contributed to over 50 peer-reviewed publications, including studies on exoplanet atmospheres, prebiotic chemistry, and stellar activity. His research is supported by grants from NASA, NSF, and other organizations.

Key awards include the SciAlog Fellowship (2023), CIERA Postdoctoral Fellowship (2020), and the Harvard Certificate of Distinction in Teaching (2012). He actively mentors students and participates in public science outreach through initiatives like Astrobites and ComSciCon.

Ranjan leads projects such as the 'Construction of Venusian Atmospheric Models' and 'GLOW: Constraining Atmospheric Signatures of Volcanism on Exoplanets.' His work often involves collaborations with experimentalists to refine photochemical models, ensuring they align with empirical data.