Dimitra Atri, Ph.D.
Principal Investigator, Space Exploration Laboratory
Head, Mars Research Group
Investigator, Center for Astrophysics and Space Science, New York University Abu Dhabi
Dr. Dimitra Atri is a planetary scientist whose research explores the environments, climates, and habitability of planets in our Solar System and beyond. He serves as Principal Investigator of the Space Exploration Laboratory and Head of the Mars Research Group at New York University Abu Dhabi, and is an Investigator at the Center for Astrophysics and Space Science.
Dr. Atri’s work spans planetary climate modeling, radiation environments, and astrobiology, with a focus on Mars’ surface and subsurface conditions, planetary auroras, and the role of energetic particles in shaping habitability. He leads science investigations and instrument development for multiple space missions, including serving as PI for three payloads, MAGLUNAR, ELECTRA, and ONION, aboard the UAE’s Rashid-2 lunar rover, and contributing to the Emirates Mission to the Asteroid Belt (EMA) and the Emirates Mars Mission (Hope Probe).
Dr. Atri has advanced understanding of planetary surface processes, atmospheric escape, and the potential for life in extreme environments. His work combines mission data, numerical modeling, laboratory simulations, and terrestrial analog field studies to address fundamental questions about the origin, persistence, and detection of life beyond Earth.
He has supervised dozens of students and postdoctoral researchers from around the world, and actively promotes international collaboration in planetary science. Dr. Atri earned his Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Kansas, where his doctoral work focused on the terrestrial effects of high-energy cosmic rays. Before joining NYU Abu Dhabi, he held research positions at the Blue Marble Space Institute of Science in the United States and the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research in India.