Jennifer Johnson

Jen Johnson is a Research Associate in the Department of Global Ecology at the Carnegie Institution for Science. Her research focuses on building quantitative understanding of the processes that control the exchange of energy, water, and carbon dioxide between the terrestrial biosphere and the atmosphere, using a combination of measurements and models. On the measurement side, the long-term focus is developing strategies for accurately measuring trace gas concentrations and isotope ratios in complex environmental samples via laser absorption spectroscopy. On the modeling side, the long-term focus is developing models of photosynthesis that are skilled in coupling trace gas measurements to optical measurements, particularly of solar-induced fluorescence. Both of these lines of work aim to strengthen the scientific toolkit for interpreting the state of the global carbon cycle, diagnosing the poise of carbon-climate feedbacks, and forecasting the future dynamics of terrestrial ecosystems and the atmosphere.