Dr. Gina DiBraccio
Planetary Science Division Acting Director
Dr. Gina DiBraccio is the Acting Director of NASA's Planetary Science Division (Science Mission Directorate) at NASA Headquarters. Planetary Science is focused on space flight missions and scientific research that address fundamental questions of solar system formation and evolution, including understanding planetary environments that can support life.
Previously, Dr. DiBraccio was the Deputy Director of the Heliophysics Science Division and the Associate Chief of the Planetary Magnetospheres Laboratory at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. She was also the Deputy Principal Investigator and Project Scientist for NASA’s MAVEN mission at Mars, where she guided the science team while actively studying the effects of space weather on the Martian environment—in preparation for future human and robotic exploration of Mars. As a lead member of NASA Goddard’s Magnetometer team, Dr. DiBraccio also supported the careful calibration and processing of data for scientific analysis and helped develop magnetic field investigations for future space exploration opportunities.
Dr. DiBraccio’s research focused on magnetospheric physics and solar-wind–planetary interactions for magnetospheres throughout the Solar System. She was a member of NASA’s MESSENGER mission science team, where she explored magnetospheric dynamics at Mercury. Besides her work on MAVEN and MESSENGER, Dr. DiBraccio’s research has involved the use of data from several other missions, including Juno, Cassini, and Voyager 2, and has touched every planet.
Dr. DiBraccio has received numerous awards for her work on NASA missions, including MESSENGER, MAVEN, and STORM. Most notably, she was a recipient of NASA’s Early Career Achievement Medal.
Dr. DiBraccio received her Ph.D. in Space Science from the University of Michigan’s College of Engineering. She also holds a master’s in Atmospheric and Space Sciences from the University of Michigan, as well as two bachelor’s degrees in Physics & Astronomy and Business Administration from the University of Pittsburgh.