My name is Kristen Myshrall and I am a Ph.D. student at the University of Connecticut in the Center for Integrative Geoscience. My research interests are geomicrobiology, the biogeochemistry of microbial systems, paleontology, astrobiology and the origins and early evolution of life on Earth.

   My current research is on modern thrombolites, a type of microbialite. I’m trying to understand the processes that are forming these microbial strucures and how they differ from stromatolites, another type of microbialite.

   Outside of school my interests include music (favorites include Lucy Kaplansky, Richard Shindell, Lori Mckenna, Kris Delmhorst, Tori Amos, Jimmy Buffett, Joan Baez, Bob Dylan, and others), soccer, geocaching, reading, spending time with friends, and traveling around the world.