I am a PhD student at the University of Hong Kong, where I study Mars-like environments on Earth and the resilient microbes that call them home. I hold a Master’s in Physics from the University of Heidelberg and have conducted research in five countries, presented at conferences in six, and even spent some time working with planetary exploration rovers at the German Aerospace Center (DLR). As a lifelong Star Trek fan, I like to imagine myself as a science officer on an away mission during every field trip. I am hopeful that we will find alien life within this century, and I am working hard to help make it happen.