Forschungsinteressen
I am a planetary scientist with research interests in life detection, biosignatures, radiation, and prebiotic chemistry on
Mars and icy satellites.
Vita
Education and Employment:
Since March 2026: Postdoctoral research fellow at the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research - MOMA Group. Co-funded ESA/MPS project: Tracing the history of Martian organic molecules by analyzing irradiated lipids with a MOMA Flight Analogue System
2021-2025: PhD in Organic Chemistry and Astrobiology – Centro de Astrobiología (CAB), Madrid, Spain.
2017-2020: Master of Science (M.Sc.) in Microbiology and Immunology – The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
2013-2017: Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) in Immunology – University of Glasgow, UK.
Selected Publications:
(1) Prieto-Ballesteros, O., Tosi, F., McKinnon, W.D., ... Finkel, P.L. et al. (2026). Geology and Surface Properties
of the Galilean Moons. Space Science Reviews. 222 (18). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-026-01273-y
(2) Finkel, P.L. et al. (2025). From the biosphere to the geosphere: assessing lipid biomarker taphonomy
through a lithification gradient. Astrobiology. 25 (9): 611-632. https://doi.org/10.1177/15311074251366268
(3) Finkel, P.L. et al. (2024). Lipid-based paleoecological and biogeochemical reconstruction of Store Saltsø,
an extreme lacustrine system in SW Greenland. Science of the Total Environment. 921 (171199).
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.171199
(4) Finkel, P.L. et al. (2023). An overview of lipid biomarkers in terrestrial extreme environments with
relevance for Mars exploration. Astrobiology. 23 (5): 563-604. https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2022.0083