Overview

Emerging from a period of strategic review, Carnegie made many exciting, forward-looking decisions in 2020 and 2021, including hiring a variety of early career and senior researchers across our areas of expertise.

Cementing our new organizational structure, Margaret McFall-Ngai was selected as director of our newest Division, combining our efforts in developmental biology, ecology, and plant sciences, and Earth and Planets Laboratory Director Richard Carlson retired, with Deputy Director Michael Walter succeeding him starting in 2022.

Together, these appointments position Carnegie for to drive discovery and demonstrate leadership in the scientific enterprise.

Honors & Awards

New Directors

Margaret McFall-Ngai

Pioneering microbiome specialist Margaret McFall-Ngai was selected  the inaugural director of Carnegie’s newly launched research division, which is deploying an integrated, molecular-to-global approach to the life sciences that will transform our understanding of the intertwined nature of life on our planet and tackle the challenges of sustainability, resilience, and adaptation to a changing climate. She is a recognized thought leader regarding the cornerstone role microbiology plays in the life sciences. Her research specializes in beneficial relationships between animals and bacteria, including the establishment and maintenance of symbiosis, the evolution of these interactions, and how they affect the animal’s health.

Michael Walter

Michael Walter, an experimental petrologist who studies deep-Earth minerals and melts to elucidate the formation and evolution of our planet’s dynamic interior, replaced the retiring Richard Carlson as Director of Carnegie's Earth and Planets Laboratory. In 2017 he was selected as Director of Carnegie's former Geophysical Laboratory, and when it merged with the former Department of Terrestrial Magnetism in 2019 he was named the Deputy Director of the new division. He worked closely with President Eric D. Isaacs, Carlson and EPL staff to help ensure the successful integration of the two historic departments and to develop a unified pathway to excellence. He has also made major contribution's to Carnegie's scientific computing infrastructure and needs. 

New Hires

Earth & Planets Laboratory

Staff Scientists

Other Staff

Embryology

Staff Scientists & Staff Associates

Other Staff

Global Ecology

Staff Scientists

Other Staff

Observatories & Las Campanas

Pasadena Staff Scientists

Pasadena Other Staff

Las Campanas Research Staff

Las Campanas Other Staff

Plant Biology

Staff Scientists & Staff Associates

Other Staff