Biosketch

Ann Pearson is the PVK Professor of Arts and Sciences and the Murray and Martha Ross Professor of Environmental Sciences in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences at Harvard University. She holds a B.A. in Chemistry from Oberlin College and a Ph.D. in Marine Chemistry and Geochemistry from the MIT/Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Joint Program in Oceanography. Pearson joined Harvard’s faculty in 2001. She is a Fellow of the National Academy of Sciences, American Geophysical Union, and Geochemical Society, and is the recipient of the Joanne Simpson Medal (AGU) and the John M. Hayes Award (Geochemical Society). She chaired the Gordon Research Conference on Organic Geochemistry in 2016 and was Chair of the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences at Harvard from 2019 to 2023.

Research Interests

Professor Pearson’s work in organic geochemistry bridges analytical chemistry, light isotope geochemistry, and molecular biology to offer insights into Earth’s biogeochemical cycles. Her research focuses on global nutrient cycles, paleoceanographic proxies, and the biogeochemical history of the oceans, emphasizing the evolution of lipid biosynthetic pathways and their role in tracing environmental processes throughout Earth's history.

Membership Type

Member

Election Year

2024

Primary Section

Section 15: Geology

Secondary Section

Section 63: Environmental Sciences and Ecology