Jeffrey Gillis

Jeffrey Gillis is a Research Professor of Physics at Washington University in St. Louis, specializing in planetary science and space weathering. He leads the Interdisciplinary Consortium for Evaluating Volatile Origins (ICE Five-O), a NASA-funded initiative investigating water and volatiles on the Moon and Mercury. His research combines experimental simulations (e.g., laser-induced space weathering), remote sensing, and sample analysis to understand planetary surface processes.

• Education: PhD in Physics from Rice University; BS in Physics from University of Massachusetts Amherst

His research interests focus on meteorites, lunar and Mercurian geology, space weathering effects, and planetary volatiles. He has contributed to NASA missions such as Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, MESSENGER, and Clementine. Key achievements include developing experimental methods to replicate micrometeorite impacts and uncovering chemical transformations in planetary regolith.

Dr. Gillis collaborates internationally, leading teams to study ice distribution on airless bodies and advancing technologies for lunar exploration. His work bridges planetary geology, materials science, and astrophysics.