Dr. Jennifer Bergner

Biography

Jennifer Bergner is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemistry at the University of California, Berkeley, starting in January 2023. She holds a B.S. in Chemistry from the University of Virginia (2013) and both an M.A. and Ph.D. in Chemistry and Chemical Biology from Harvard University (2016, 2019). Prior to her current position, she was a NASA Sagan fellow at the University of Chicago from 2019 to 2022. Her research focuses on the rich chemistry in regions where stars form, particularly the production of organic molecules and the implications for planet formation. She leads the Bergner Astrochemistry Group, which employs various tools to investigate the chemistry involved in protostars and protoplanetary disks. Her innovative work includes cryogenic vacuum experiments that simulate the extreme conditions of star-forming regions, as well as utilizing advanced telescopes like ALMA and JWST to observe volatile molecules in the cosmos. Additionally, she engages in simulations to examine how volatile chemistry is affected by the dynamic redistribution of material in planet-forming disks.

Research Interests