Shaunna Morrison

Shaunna Morrison is an Associate Professor in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences at Rutgers University New Brunswick, with a joint affiliation at the Earth and Planets Laboratory of the Carnegie Institution for Science. Her research integrates mineralogy, data science, and planetary science to explore Earth and extraterrestrial mineral systems. She leads the 4D (Deep Time Data-Driven Discovery) Initiative, co-leads the Deep-Time Data Infrastructure (DTDI), and serves as a NASA CheMin X-ray Diffraction instrument co-investigator on the Mars Science Laboratory mission.

Her work focuses on mineralogical signs of life, data-driven approaches to geosphere-biosphere coevolution, and Martian mineralogy via missions like CheMin. She develops advanced analytics and machine learning tools to analyze mineral networks, mineral evolution, and planetary habitability. Key projects include Mineral Evolution Database (MED), Mineral Informatics, and open-access platforms like Mindat.org.

Morrison’s lab at Rutgers welcomes students interested in Earth and planetary sciences, data science, and geochemistry. She advocates for open science, FAIR data principles, and interdisciplinary collaboration to advance understanding of mineral systems across deep time and space.