Kate Rubins, PhD, is a NASA astronaut and molecular biologist who became the first person to sequence DNA in space. She has flown two long-duration missions to the International Space Station, logging more than 300 days in orbit and conducting four spacewalks. Prior to joining NASA, Dr. Rubins led research on emerging viruses and human disease at the Whitehead Institute. Her current work bridges space exploration and global health, with a focus on genomics, synthetic biology, and biomedical innovation.