Staff Bios

Dr. Lisa Carnell is the Division Director of the Biological and Physical Sciences Division in the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters. She is responsible for providing strategic direction for the division and overseeing the planning and execution of its two-pronged mission of pioneering scientific discovery and enabling human spaceflight exploration.

Dr. Paul Hertz is the Acting Deputy Division Director for NASA's Biological and Physical Sciences Division. He was named Senior Advisor to the Associate Administrator of the Science Mission Directorate in August 2022. The Senior Advisor provides leadership and coordination of a variety of science issues at the direction of the Associate Administrator.

DeVon Griffin

DeVon Griffin is the Acting Deputy Division Director of the Biological and Physical Sciences Division. Dr. Griffin has performed scientific work in combustion, fluid physics, and optical sciences. He has managed projects in human research and space communications. Dr. Griffin previously served as the BPS Physical Sciences Program Manager.

Sharmila Bhattacharya

Dr. Sharmila Bhattacharya was selected as the Program Scientist for Space Biology in SMD’s Biological and Physical Science Division, effective August 30, 2020. Prior to this assignment, Sharmila served a one year detail as the Space Policy Advisor to the U.S. Senate Committee for Commerce, Science and Transportation. Dr. Bhattacharya had served as a Principal Investigator and scientist at NASA for many years before accepting her current position.

Bradley Carpenter

Bradley M. Carpenter is the Program Scientist for Fundamental Physics in the Biological and Physical Sciences Division. He served as the Lead Scientist for the Physical Sciences Research Division of the NASA Office of Biological and Physical Research from 1996 to 2004. He worked on ISS National Laboratory implementation in the Space Operations Mission Directorate from 2005 to 2011 and was the NASA liaison to the ISS National Laboraory from 2011-2013.

Francis Chiaramonte

Dr. Francis Chiaramonte is the Program Scientist for Physical Sciences in the Biological and Physical Sciences Division. Research areas include: Biophysics, Combustion, Complex Fluids, Fluid Physics, Materials and the Physical Sciences Informatics System.

Doug Gruendel

Doug Gruendel is the Partnerships Coordinator with Biological and Physical Sciences in the Science Mission Directorate. Doug’s career has been based out of NASA Headquarters and Kennedy Space Center.

Kevin Sato

Dr. Kevin Sato is the Biological and Physical Sciences Program Scientist for Exploration.

Mary Walsh

Mary Walsh is the Biological and Physical Sciences Space Biology Program Manager.