Darek Lis joined the submillimeter group at Caltech in 1989 after obtaining his PhD from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. He was Co-Principal Investigator and Deputy Director of the Caltech Submillimeter Observatory, as well as a member of the US Herschel HIFI Science Team. From 2014 to 2019 he was Professor at Sorbonne University in Paris and Director of the Laboratory for Studies of Radiation and Matter in Astrophysics and Atmospheres, a CNRS research laboratory and a scientific department of Paris Observatory. He returned to Caltech in 2019 as Scientist at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and was awarded the JPL Principal Designation in 2025. He was elected to the Organizing Committee of Commission H2 Astrochemistry of the International Astronomical Union (2021 - 2027) and serves on the IRAM Scientific Advisory Committee (2025 - ).

Ph.D., University of Massachusetts, 1989

Darek Lis's research interests include star formation, astrochemistry, high-resolution molecular spectroscopy of the interstellar medium and Solar System small bodies, as well as submillimeter heterodyne instrumentation. Using ground-based and space-borne far-infrared facilities, including Caltech Submillimeter Observatory, Infrared Space Observatory, Herschel Space Observatory, Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy, Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array, and James Webb Space Telescope he has studied molecules and their isotopic composition to understand the physics and chemistry of the interstellar medium, as well as the origin of Earth's oceans. Currently he is a Science Affiliate for The PRobe far-infrared Mission for Astrophysics (PRIMA) and a co-Investigator for Astrophysics Stratospheric Telescope for High Spectral Resolution Observations at Submillimeter-wavelengths (ASTHROS).

• Planetary Science  | Solar System Origin, Structure And Evolution
• Astrophysics and Space Science  | Formation And Evolution Of Stars And Planets

• astrochemistry  
• comets  
• far-infrared  
• spectroscopy  
• star formation  

Research Fellow in Physics, Caltech 1989 - 1992; Senior Research Fellow in Physics (Research Assistant Professor) 1992 - 1998; Senior Research Associate in Physics (Research Professor) 1998 - 2015; Deputy Director, Caltech Submillimeter Observatory 2009 - 2014; Visiting Associate in Physics 2015 - 2020. Scientist, Jet Propulsion Laboratory 2019 - ; Assistant Section Manager, Space Sciences 2025; Principal 2025 - .

Professor, Sorbonne University; Director, Laboratory for Studies of Radiation and Matter in Astrophysics and Atmospheres, Paris Observatory 2014 - 2019.

Institut de radioastronomie millimétrique, Scientific Advisory Committee, 2025 -.

IAU Commission H2 Astrochemistry Organizing Committee, 2021 - 2027.

NASA, COPAG, Far-Infrared Science Interest Group, Leadership Council, 2016 - 2018.

IAU Editorial Board, 2005.

Caltech Submillimeter Observatory, Advisory Committee, 1996 - 2012.

• JPL Principal Designation (2025)
• NASA Award | Exceptional Scientific Achievement Medal (2021)
• NASA Award | Group Achievement Award, U.S. Herschel HIFI Instrument Team (2014)
• NASA Award | Group Achievement Award, U.S. Herschel HIFI Hardware Development Team (2010)