Nathan Hadland is a research scientist utilizing microbial ecology to inform astrobiological investigations on Earth and Mars.
I am a Research Scientist at the Arizona Astrobiology Center at The University of Arizona, broadly interested in microbial ecology in extreme environments and in leveraging those insights to inform astrobiological investigations and biosignature searches on other planetary bodies.
My expertise spans environmental microbiology and geobiology across laboratory, field, and computational settings. I have over six years of field experience, including four extended campaigns in Iceland and other challenging environments, two of which I led and organized. These expeditions integrated drone-based photogrammetry, LIDAR, and advanced biological sampling to investigate microbial distribution, dispersal, and survival.
In the laboratory, I specialize in advanced microbiology techniques including DNA sequencing, microscopy, ATP analysis, qPCR, and culturing, complemented by computational pipelines in bioinformatics, machine learning, and geospatial data analysis.
University of Arizona
Minor: Astrobiology | GPA: 4.0
Dissertation: "Evaluating the Habitability of Basaltic Volcanic Environments in Iceland as an Analog for Potential Life on Mars"
University of Arizona
GPA: 4.0
Florida Institute of Technology
Summa Cum Laude | GPA: 3.97
University-wide graduate research competition
2026
Department of Defense
2022–2025
Achievement Rewards for College Scientists
2025–2026
Graduate Fellowship Program
2025–2026
Astronaut Scholarship Foundation
2018, 2019
Florida Institute of Technology
2018
Featured research coverage and public outreach
NPR 91.5 KJZZ Phoenix
Radio interview discussing microbial dispersal research in Iceland's volcanic environments.
University of Arizona News
Feature article on research investigating rapid microbial community establishment in newly emplaced lava flows.
Channel 4 Documentary Series
Featured in documentary series showcasing aerial perspectives of Iceland's volcanic landscapes and research.
Research expeditions in Iceland and beyond
Iceland Field Campaign
Volcanic Terrain Research
Sample Collection
Expedition Team
Lava Flow Study
Data Collection
Combining fieldwork in extreme environments with advanced genomic analytics to understand habitability and microbial ecology.
Using extreme environments on Earth, from recent volcanic eruptions to arid sandsheets, as natural laboratories. We study these analogs to understand the fundamental limits of habitability and how life establishes in sterile substrates, informing our search for life on Mars.
Bridging the gap between orbital/aerial data and ground-truth biology. By utilizing UAS (drones) and LiDAR to map micro-habitats, we aim to predict microbial hotspots at landscape scales, creating robust biosignature detection strategies for future planetary missions.
Investigating how microbial communities respond to rapid environmental shifts. From pioneer species in lava flows to changing Arctic conditions, understanding these dynamics is crucial for predicting ecosystem resilience in the face of global climate change.
Peer-reviewed articles and selected manuscripts.
Hadland, N., Hamilton, C.W., Björnsdóttir, S.H., and Duhamel, S. Vol 8, 1657, pp. 1–17.
Hadland, N., Hamilton, C.W., Schroedl, P., Calabrese, F., Marlow, J., and Duhamel, S. Vol 1025, 181659.
Download PDFHadland, N., Hamilton, C.W., Phillips, M., Calabrese, F., Tuohy, M., and Duhamel, S.
Hadland, N., Hamilton, C.W. & Duhamel, S. Vol 5, 114.
Carr, B., Varnam, M., Hadland, N., et al. Vol 5, 231.
Gwizd, S., ... Hadland, N., et al. Vol 5, 172.
Eichler, A., Hadland, N., et al. Vol 354, 114022.
Hadland, N., et al. 4760-4768.
LeBeau, R., ... Hadland, N., et al. 11(1).
I am always open to discussing research, guest lectures, or consulting on planetary analog projects.