Alexandra MacDermott

Alexandra MacDermott is an Associate Professor of Physical Chemistry at the University of Houston-Clear Lake (UHCL), affiliated with the College of Science and Engineering. She holds a D.Phil. from Oxford University and specializes in theoretical chemistry, astrobiology, and the origins of molecular chirality. Her research explores parity-violating effects and chirality as a signature of life in the universe.

Dr. MacDermott leads the SETH Consortium, developing space polarimeters to detect extraterrestrial homochirality on Mars. She is a Co-Investigator on the COSAC experiment for the Rosetta mission to Comet Wirtanen and an Adjunct Scientist on the Beagle 2 Mars Lander. Her work bridges theoretical calculations (e.g., parity-violating energy differences) with astrobiological applications.

Her teaching includes Physical Chemistry I & II, Biochemistry, and courses on Spectroscopy and Symmetry in Chemistry. While no awards are explicitly listed, her contributions to astrochemical research are highlighted through interdisciplinary collaborations and space mission involvement.

Research grants and lab activities center on the SETH project and international partnerships. Her work aims to address fundamental questions about life’s asymmetry and its cosmic origins.