Amy Elson

Dr. Amy Elson is a Research Associate at Curtin University's School of Earth and Planetary Sciences (EPS), part of the Faculty of Science and Engineering. She holds a portfolio role in the Office of the Provost, demonstrating institutional leadership alongside research duties. Her work focuses on fossil preservation mechanisms, paleoenvironmental reconstruction, and astrobiological analog studies.

Elson's research integrates field-based studies with advanced analytical techniques, examining fossilization processes in concretions, molecular preservation in ancient soft tissues, and environmental proxies from Eocene lake systems. Her work bridges paleontology, geochemistry, and planetary science, with recent projects exploring Mars sample return analogs in alkaline lakes and the impact of rapid warming events on continental hydrology.

Her publication record reflects interdisciplinary approaches, with key contributions to understanding microbially influenced fossilization, Eocene hydroclimate dynamics, and biomarker applications in geological samples. Elson’s research has implications for both Earth’s deep-time environmental history and future planetary exploration.

Her advising and grants section remains under development, though her active involvement in international conferences (e.g., Palaeo Down Under 3) highlights collaborative networks in Australasian and global paleontological communities. Laboratory work focuses on molecular paleontology and sedimentological analysis, leveraging cutting-edge facilities for isotopic and microscopic studies.