Aditya Chopra

Aditya is a science communicator extraordinaire. As a PhD candidate in the Research School of Earth Sciences focusing on the elemental composition of life, Aditya has been an energetic ambassador for his field of science and research. His recent awards include Best Student Presentation at the 2012 Australian Space Sciences Conference, First Prize at the 2012 Three Minute Thesis Competition’ at ANU, the Robert Hill Memorial Prize for Interdisciplinary Research in the Earth Sciences and the Vice-Chancellor’s Community Outreach Award.

In November 2014 Aditya was awarded an Australian Government Endeavour Postdoctoral Research Fellowship to continue his astrobiology and origin of life research in the United States.

in 2015, Aditya will spend six months at the University of Hawai'i and the University of Washington investigating the elemental composition of the earliest ancestors of life forms on Earth by analysing life forms that thrive in punishingly hot and acidic environments near hydrothermal vents. The project aims to offer a new perspective on the environment where life originated approximately 4 billion years ago.

Aditya has also been selected by the Australian Academy of Science and the Royal Society as one of Australia's delegates to the first Commonwealth Science Conference in nearly 50 years. He will also represent the Australian National University at the 2015 Global Young Scientists Summit in Singapore.

Through the course of his PhD studies, Aditya has presented over 50 talks, been part of five local organising committees of scientific conferences, contributed to science blogs, volunteered for ResearchFest, has been a guest lecturer to undergraduate and school students, and acted as a mentor to his peers.

Hear Aditya talk about his research on ABC Radio National's The Science Show with Robyn Williams.