Ann Pearson Named Professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences

Cambridge, Mass. July 10, 2009 - Organic geochemist Ann Pearson, who brings genomics, isotope geochemistry, and biochemistry to bear on the study of the Earth's history, has been named professor of earth and planetary sciences in Harvard University's Faculty of Arts and Sciences, effective July 1, 2009. "Professor Pearson's research contributions range from the sources and fates of organic carbon in marine sediments to the processes that fueled some of Earth’s most ancient ecosystems," says Jeremy Bloxham, dean of science in FAS. "Her work harnesses major advances in molecular biology and genomics to illuminate basic questions about the sources, fates, and cycling of the Earth's organic matter. In so doing, she is sharpening the tools of organic geochemistry in research on the history of Earth and life." In her early research, Pearson used radiocarbon analysis to tease apart the composition and origins of organic matter in marine sediment, the source of the vast majority of today's petroleum reserves. Such "burial" of organic matter in the sea also helps control atmospheric levels of oxygen and carbon dioxide to the present day. Despite its importance, the origin of organic matter in marine deposits was poorly understood prior to Pearson's radiocarbon measurements, made during her Ph.D.