Chris Herd

Dr. Herd is a professor in the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Alberta. He obtained a Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Geological Sciences from Queen's University, and a Ph.D. in Earth and Planetary Sciences from the University of New Mexico. He is an expert in the geology of Mars from studies of Martian meteorites, and a member of the NASA Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover mission, as a participating scientist and expert in Returned Sample Science, and a member of the Project Science group. His NSERC- and CSA-funded research involves carrying out detailed studies of various meteorite types to gain insights into their conditions of formation, as well as the best methods of curation and handling of pristine planetary materials, including those from sample return missions. He established the University of Alberta’s Meteorite Curation Lab, home to the largest university-based collection in Canada, and the world’s first cold meteorite curation facility.