Stephen James Mojzsis

Academic interests

My interests are broad and pertain to most aspects of Planetary Habitability. In particular, I use physical, chemical, nuclear, geological and astronomical tools to understand the nature world. My research is field-, laboratory- and modeling-based, and explores the dynamic conditions that give rise to Earth and Earth-like planets in the Galaxy.

For more information, please visit Steve Mojzsis' webpages (below):

Konkoly Observatory

Origins Research Institute, HUN-REN Research Centre for Astronomy & Earth Sciences

University of Colorado, Boulder, USA

Publication information can be found in Google Scholar and in ORCID.

Courses taught

• Please keep an eye out here for upcoming courses to be offered at UiO. I expect that the first one will become available Fall 2024.
• Join me July 21-26 for Exoplanets by the lake II. More information about the meeting and how to apply can be found by clicking here.

Background

University of California Los Angeles; Postdoctoral Scholar (with T.M. Harrison) 2000

Scripps Institution of Oceanography; Ph.D. Earth Sciences (with G.O. Arrhenius) 1997

Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts; M.A. Geology (with F. El-Baz) 1992

Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts; B.A. Geology (with P.K. Strother, L. Margulis) 1988

Awards

• Confrere (postulant), The Equestrian, Secular and Chapterial Order of Saint Joachim - Austro-German Commandery “Leopold II”, 2024
• Fellow, The Explorers Club, 2024
• Fellow, Royal Society for Chemistry (UK), 2021
• Fellow, Royal Astronomical Society (UK), 2021
• Fellow, Geological Society of London (UK), 2021
• Ida Pfeiffer Professor, University of Vienna (Austria), 2021
• Humboldt Research Prize, A. v. Humboldt Foundation (Germany), 2021-2024.
• Professeur Invité, University of Lorraine and CRPG, Nancy (France), 2019
• Corresponding Full Member, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, 2016 (seated, 2017)
• University of Colorado ASSETT Outstanding Teacher Award, 2014
• Distinguished Visiting Professor, Geological Institute, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, 2013
• Fulbright Faculty Scholar (at CNRS-CRPG, France), 2007
• University of Colorado, Residence Life Teaching Award, 2004
• Fellow, IGPP, University of California, 1998
• Hickok-Radford Award, SEG Foundation, 1997
• Edward A. Frieman Prize, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, 1996
• Boston University Graduate Award for Excellence in Geology, 1987

Appointments

• 2024-present   Professor II, University of Oslo, Norway
• 2023-present   Honorary Professor, ELTE, Budapest, Hungary
• 2021-present   Senior Research Advisor, CSFK, Budapest, Hungary
• 2021-present   Ida Pfeiffer Visiting Professor & Senior Research Fellow, University of Vienna, Austria
• 2021-present   Humboldt Visiting Research Professor, University of Jena, Germany

• 2000-present       Assistant (2000), Associate (2007), Full (2014), Emeritus (2021) Professor, University of Colorado, Boulder, USA

Positions held

• 2019     Professeur Invité, University of Lorraine, Nancy, France
• 2019     Visiting Scholar, Erwin Schrödinger Institute of Mathematics & Physics, Vienna, Austria
• 2018     Visiting Professor, Department of Earth Sciences, ETH, Zürich, Switzerland
• 2017-2020     College of Arts & Sciences Council Chair, University of Colorado at Boulder
• 2016-2021     Director, the Collaborative for Research in Origins (CRiO)
• 2015-2017     Visiting Professor, Earth-Life Science Institute, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan
• 2013-2014     Distinguished Visiting Professor, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
• 2011-2013     Professeur des universités (2^e), Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, France
• 2008-2009     Director, Science Education Initiative, Geological Sciences, University of Colorado
• 2007-2008     CNRS & Fulbright Visiting Professor of Geochemistry, CNRS-CRPG Nancy, France
• 2001-2008     Associate Director, University of Colorado Center for Astrobiology
• 1999-2000     Adjunct Assistant Professor of Geochemistry, University of California Los Angeles
• 1998-2000     NSF Earth Sciences Postdoctoral Fellow, University of California Los Angeles
• 1997-1998     University of California President's Postdoctoral Fellow, UCLA
• 1998-2000     Asst. Researcher, Institute for Pure & Applied Physical Sciences, UCSD
• 1995-1997     NSCORT Graduate Research Fellow, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UCSD
• 1993-1997     Graduate Research Assistant, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UCSD
• 1992-1993     Research Associate, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UCSD
• 1988-1992     Graduate Research Assistant in Geology, Boston University
• 1988     Research Associate Hydrogeochemist, United States Geological Survey, Cape Cod, MA
• 1987     NASA Summer Undergraduate Intern, Lunar and Planetary Institute, Houston, TX

Recent publications

• Nichols, C.I.O., Weiss, B.P., Maloof, A.C., Eyster, A., Greenfield, T., Ramezani, J., Zawaski, M.J., Kelly, N.M., Mojzsis, S.J., Watson, E.B., Cherniak, D.L. (2024) Possible Eoarchean records of the geomagnetic field preserved in the Isua Supracrustal Belt, southern west Greenland. Journal Geophysical Research – Solid Earth. IN THE PRESS.
• Polgari, M., Nagy, B, Fintor, K., Gyollai, I., Kovács, I., Szabó, M., Mojzsis, S.J. (2023) Microbially-induced K enrichments in hydrothermally altered andesitic tuffs. Ore Geology Reviews. 162, 105630.
• Pignatari, M., Trueman, T.C.L., Womack, K.A., Gibson, B.K., Côté, B., Turrini, D., Sneden, S., Mojzsis, S.J., Stancliffe, R.J., Fong, P., Lawson, T.V., Keegans, J.D., Pilkington, K., Passy, J.-C., Beers, T.C., Lugaro, M. (2023) The chemical evolution of the solar neighbourhood for planet-hosting stars. Monthly Notices Royal Astronomical Society. 524, 6295–6330.
• Šponer, JE., Kloužek, J., Výravský, J., Sreekar, W., Scheu, B., Braun, D., Mojzsis, S.J., Šponer, J., Matyášek, R., Kovaříka, A. (2023) Influence of silicate rock glass compositions on the efficacy of prebiotic RNA polymerization reactions – the case of 3’,5’ cyclic guanosine monophosphate. ChemSystemsChem, e202300016.
• Spaargaren, R.J., Wang, H.S., Mojzsis, S.J., Ballmer, M.D., Tackley, P.J., (2023) Plausible constraints on the range of bulk terrestrial exoplanet compositions in the Solar neighborhood. The Astrophysical Journal 948, 53.
• Biondi, E., Jerome, C., Kim, H.J., Mojzsis, S.J, Benner, S.A. (2022) Catalytic synthesis of long RNA-like molecules on prebiotically-relevant rock glasses. Astrobiology 22, 629-636.
• Wang, H.S., Quanz, S.P., Yong, D., Liu, F., Seidler, F., Acuña, L and Mojzsis, S.J. (2022) Detailed chemical compositions of planet hosting stars: II. Exploration of terrestrial exoplanet interiors. MNRAS  513, 5829-5846.
• Mah, J., Brasser, R., Woo, J.M.Y., Bouvier, A., Mojzsis, S.J. (2022) Evidence for an incipient isotopic gradient in the inner region of the solar protoplanetary disc. Astronomy & Astrophysics 660, A36.
• Wang, H.S., Lineweaver, C.H., Quanz, S.P., Mojzsis, S.J., Ireland, T.R., Sossi, P.A., Seidler, F. and Morel, T. (2022) A model Earth-sized planet in the habitable zone of a Centauri A/B. Astrophysical Journal. 927:134.
• Grocolas, T., Bouilhol, P., Caro, G. and Mojzsis, S.J. (2022) Eoarchean subduction-like magmatism recorded in 3750 Ma mafic–ultramafic rocks of the Ukaliq supracrustal belt (Québec). in Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology. 177:39.
• Köksal, E.S., Põldsalu, I., Mojzsis, S.J., Bizzarro, M., Friis, H. and Gözen, I. (2022) Spontaneous formation of prebiotic compartment colonies on Hadean Earth and pre-Noachian Mars. ChemSystemsChem. e202100040.
• Mah, J., Brasser, R., Woo, J.M.Y., Bouvier, A., Mojzsis, S.J. (2022) Effects of pebble accretion on the growth and composition of planetesimals in the inner Solar System. MNRAS 511, 158–175.
• Mojzsis, S.J. (2022) Geoastronomy: Rocky planets as the Lavoisier-Lomonsov Bridge from the non-living to the living world. in Royal Society of Chemistry-Prebiotic Chemistry and Life’s Origin, 21-76.
• Mojzsis, S.J. (2021) Habitable potentials. Nature Astronomy. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-021-01529-3.
• Abramov, O., Bebell, K.L., Mojzsis, S.J. (2021) Emergent bio-analogous properties of blockchain-based distributed systems. Origins of Life and Evolution of Biospheres https://doi.org/10.1007/s11084-021-09608-1.
• Brasser, R., Mojzsis, S.J., Werner, S.C., Abramov, O. (2021) A new estimate of the age of highly-siderophile element retention in the lunar mantle. Icarus 361, 114389.
• Zawaski, M., Kelly, N.M., Orlandini, O.M., Allwood, A., Nichols, C. and Mojzsis, S.J. (2021) Reply to Comment: The Isua (Greenland) “relict stromatolites” are not original sedimentary structures. Earth and Planetary Science Letters. 562, 116851.
• Morrison, P. and Mojzsis, S.J. (2021) Tracing the early emergence of microbial sulfur metabolisms. Geomicrobiology Journal. doi: 10.1080/01490451.2020.1812773.
• Wang, H.S., Morel, T., Quanz, S.P., Mojzsis, S.J. (2020) Europium as a lodestar: diagnosis of radiogenic heat production in terrestrial exoplanets. Astronomy & Astrophysics 644, A19.
• Chowdhury, W., Trail, D., Guitreau, M., Bell, E.A., Buettner, J., Mojzsis, S.J. (2020) Geochemical and textural investigation of the Ukaliq Supracrustal Belt, Inukjuak Domain (NE Quebec, Canada). Lithos 372–373, 105673.
• Zawaski, M., Kelly, N.M., Orlandini, O.M., Allwood, A., Nichols, C. and Mojzsis, S.J. (2020) Reappraisal of purported ca. 3.7 Ga stromatolites from the Isua Supracrustal Belt (West Greenland) from detailed chemical and structural analysis. Earth and Planetary Science Letters. 545: 116409.
• Greer, J.C., Cates, N.L., Caro, G., Bleeker, W., Kelly, N.M., Mojzsis, S.J. (2020) Polyphase Archean granitoid gneisses and supracrustal enclaves of the southern Inukjuak Domain, Quebec (Canada). Lithos 364–365, 105520.
• Ritson, D.J., Mojzsis, S.J., Sutherland, J.D. (2020) Delivery of phosphate to prebiotic Earth environments by photogeochemical oxidation. Nature Geosciences. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41561-020-0556-7.
• Biondi, J.C., Polgári, M., Gyollai, I., Fintor, K., Kovács, I., Fekete, J, Mojzsis, S.J. (2020) Biogenesis of the Ediacaran Kremydilite manganese ores from Urucum (Brazil) – a new manganese ore type. Precambrian Research, 340, 105624.
• Brasser, R. and Mojzsis, S.J. (2020) The inner and outer solar system was partitioned by a structured protosolar disk. Nature Astronomy. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-019-0978-6.
• Brasser, R., Werner, S.C., Mojzsis, S.J. (2020) Impact bombardment chronology of the terrestrial planets from 4.5 Ga to 3.5 Ga. Icarus, 338, 113514.
• Benner, S.A., Bell, E.A., Biondi, E., Brasser, R., Carell, T., Kim, H-J., Mojzsis, S.J., Omran, A., Pasek, M.A., and Trail, D. (2020) When did Life Likely Emerge on Earth in an RNA-First Process? ChemSystemsChem 2, e1900035.
• Mojzsis, S.J., Brasser, R., Kelly, N.M., Abramov, O., and Werner, S. (2019) Onset of giant planet migration before 4480 million years ago. The Astrophysical Journal, 881:44 (13pp), 2019 August 10 doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ab2c03.
• Woo, J.M.Y., Genda, H., Brasser, R., Mojzsis, S.J. (2019) Mars in the aftermath of a colossal impact. Icarus, 133, 87-95.
• Böhm, C., Cates, N.L., Mojzsis, S.J., Guitreau, M., Bourdon, B., Roth, A., Hartlaub, R.P., Heaman, L.M. (2019) The Assean Lake complex: ancient crust at the northwestern margin of the Superior craton, Manitoba, Canada. In Earth’s oldest rocks II (Van Kranendonk, M..J., Hoffmann, E. and Bennett, V. Eds.) Developments in Precambrian Geology. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-444-63901-1.00028-9.