Paul Byrne

Paul Byrne is an Associate Professor in the Department of Earth, Environmental, and Planetary Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis. He is affiliated with the McDonnell Center for the Space Sciences and the Remote Sensing Laboratory. His research focuses on comparative planetary geology, studying planetary bodies from Mercury to Pluto and beyond to exoplanets. Byrne employs remote sensing, numerical modeling, and fieldwork on Earth to understand planetary surface and interior dynamics.

Education: BA in Geology (Trinity College Dublin), PhD in Planetary Geology (Trinity College Dublin). Prior to joining Washington University, he held positions at North Carolina State University and postdoctoral fellowships at the Carnegie Institution for Science and the Lunar and Planetary Institute.

Research interests include Venusian volcanism and tectonics, Martian structural geology, and the application of remote sensing techniques to planetary surfaces. His work emphasizes understanding planetary evolution through comparative analysis, with recent focus on Venus' surface processes and exoplanet studies.

Key contributions include studies on Venus' gravitationally deformed volcanoes, Mercury's global contraction, and the exploration potential of extraterrestrial resources. Byrne has advised on mission concepts for Venus and Mercury exploration, including aerobot missions and landed investigations.

Labs/Teams: McDonnell Center for the Space Sciences, Remote Sensing Laboratory. Collaborates on interdisciplinary projects involving planetary geology, astrobiology, and mission design.