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About

M. Zorzano-Mier is a leading astrobiologist and planetary scientist whose research focuses on the habitability of Mars, the transport of microbial life in planetary environments, and the critical intersection of planetary protection with human exploration. Her most cited work, "Planetary Protection Knowledge Gap Closure Enabling Crewed Missions to Mars" (2024, 19 citations), is a landmark contribution that systematically identifies the scientific and engineering challenges—such as microbial survival in Martian regolith and forward contamination risks—that must be resolved before crewed missions can safely proceed. This paper has become an essential reference for space agencies and mission planners. Beyond this, Zorzano-Mier is known for her pioneering studies on water vapor and salt deliquescence on Mars, which have reshaped our understanding of transient liquid water availability. Her work has been instrumental in defining the protocols for sample return and in situ life detection. With a career spanning over two decades, she has also contributed to the REMS instrument on the Curiosity rover and the HABIT instrument on the ExoMars mission, cementing her reputation as a key architect of responsible, science-driven Mars exploration.