New Staff Scientists Bring Bold Vision to Earth and Planets Laboratory
In the summer of 2024, Carnegie Science’s Earth and Planets Laboratory (EPL) welcomed two exceptional new Staff Scientists whose research will not only shape the future of the division, but also help redefine the field of geology. With expertise that spans the inner workings of our planet to its tectonic surface history—and even to the minerals that power our modern world—Jennifer Kasbohm and Andrea Giuliani bring complementary perspectives and a shared commitment to advancing Earth science through cutting-edge methods, multidisciplinary collaboration, and inclusive leadership.
Jennifer Kasbohm, a self-described “Earth historian,” specializes in using isotopic ratios to develop timelines of key geologic events, offering insight into how Earth’s interior, surface, oceans, and atmosphere have interacted across time. At Carnegie, she uses fieldwork and laboratory techniques to investigate paleoclimatology, volcanism, and tectonics—helping to answer foundational questions about Earth's past and how it informs the present. Her current research explores the climate effects of large igneous provinces, Earth's magnetic field history, and ancient tectonic dynamics.
Joining her in August of 2024, was isotope geochemist Andrea Giuliani, who comes to EPL from a senior scientist role at ETH Zurich. Giuliani’s research focuses on the deep Earth—studying how carbon and other volatile elements move through the planet over time—and the formation of mineral deposits critical to technologies supporting the global energy transition. His prior work includes leading a diamond research group at the University of Melbourne, where he earned his Ph.D.
Giuliani's investigations encompass the origin and evolution of mantle-derived magmas, the genesis of economically significant metals like gold and nickel, and the isotopic "fingerprints" that reveal how Earth’s interior has changed over geologic time. He is also developing innovative techniques for measuring isotopic abundances in minerals, pushing the boundaries of geochemistry and cosmochemistry.
With Kasbohm and Giuliani now part of its distinguished team, the Earth and Planets Laboratory is poised to deepen our understanding of Earth’s history and future—across scales, disciplines, and generations.
