Mara Leite

Mara Leite, PhD, is a skilled researcher with extensive experience in microbiology, environmental science, and astrobiology. Mara began as an Undergraduate Student Researcher at Faculdade de Farmácia da Universidade do Porto, focusing on microbiology and antibiotic resistance. Subsequent roles included Research Scientist at the University of Washington, where expertise in environmental microbiology and molecular biology was developed. At Institut Pasteur, Mara pursued graduate studies in molecular biology. A Doctoral Researcher at the University of Westminster, research centered on microalgae and its applications in Mars exploration and astrobiology. Currently, Mara serves as a Microbiology Project Officer at The Open University, exploring extremophiles and sustainability in extreme environments. In addition to academic roles, Mara founded Mara Leite Photography, specializing in astro, landscape, and cityscape photography. Recent involvement includes participating in the CAMões mission focused on analog research in ocean, earth, and space.