Lynn J. Rothschild (born May 11, 1957) is an evolutionary biologist, astrobiologist and synthetic biologist at NASA's Ames Research Center, and a consulting Professor at Stanford University, where she teaches Astrobiology and Space Exploration. She is also an adjunct Professor atBrown University. At Ames her research has focused on how life, particularly microbes, has evolved in the context of the physical environment, both on Earth and potentially beyond our planet's boundaries. Since 2007 she has studied the effect of UV radiation on DNA synthesis, carbon metabolism and mutation/DNA repair in the Rift Valley of Kenya and the Atacama desert of Bolivia, and also in high altitude experiments atop Mt. Everest, in balloon payloads with BioLaunch and in collaboration with Mavericks Civilian Space Foundation. Currently she holds the title of Chief Scientist for Synthetic Biology.