Dr. Chinmayee Govinda Raj, Ph.D.

Scientist | Engineer

Dr. Govinda Raj specializes in analytical chemistry, bioengineering, and instrument design for astrobiology and space biology applications. As a recipient of the prestigious NASA Postdoctoral Program (NPP) fellowship, she works at NASA in Silicon Valley, California. Currently, she leads the ground unit mapping operations of the Lunar Explorer Instrument for space biology Applications (LEIA) project, which is part of the Artemis II lunar module. Dr. Govinda Raj holds a doctorate in chemistry and space engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology. She earned her bachelor's degree in Electronics and Instrumentation Engineering from India, and her master's degree in Bioengineering from San José State University and NASA Ames Research Center. During her time at NASA Ames Research Center, she designed a sensor suite for an autonomous experimental evolution system for real-time biochemical analysis. Her expertise includes developing miniaturized, low-power, and low-cost optical and electrochemical instrumentation on microfluidic platforms for in situ exploration. Due to her career path, Dr. Govinda Raj has had the opportunity to interact with both engineers and scientists, making her an effective communicator and researcher in bridging the gap between the two groups.