Welander Lab

About our Research

For decades, geomicrobiologists have used lipid compounds preserved in rock and sediment to make predictions about early life and the conditions on ancient Earth. We study these molecular biomarkers in modern organisms to refine our interpretations of the microbial fossil record.

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About our Lab Community

We are an interdisciplinary lab, and our research benefits from having a team of scientists with diverse backgrounds (racial, gender, ethnicity, sexual-orientation, country of origin, etc.). We believe in nontraditional paths to careers in STEM, recognize structural inequity in academia, and actively support Black Lives Matter.

Contact

Welander Laboratory
Green Earth Sciences Building
367 Panama St., Room 201
Stanford, CA 94305-4216

Email: welander@stanford.edu
Phone: (650) 723-7341
Fax: (650) 723-5099

About Paula

News

A slide from Paula Welander's powerpoint. It reads "How does a little Mexican girl from LA become a scientist and a professor." The slide has photos of Paula as a child and in graduate school.

Stanford Earth's Diversity, Equity & Inclusion initiatives

Navigating the Academic Path as a First-Gen Latina Scientist

Watch Dr. Paula Welander trace her path in academia. This event is part of the #Stanford Earth Celebrates series honoring Latinx heritage month and the contributions of the Hispanic and Latinx community in the Earth and Environmental sciences.

NASA Astrobiology

NASA's Countdown to Mars

NASA's Mars rover Perseverance launched on July 30th, 2020 and is set to land Feb. 18, 2021. Dr. Paula Welander discusses the importance of returning samples from Mars and the hope that this mission affords in difficult times.

Paula Welander speaking to Alysha Lee and Adrian Juarez

School Highlight

Q&A: What does it mean to be Latinx in the geosciences?

Stanford Earth recently transitioned the Office of Multicultural Affairs (OMA) into its new Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiative. As part an effort to celebrate and discuss identity, six Stanford Earth members share how their ethnic-cultural backgrounds have informed and impacted their careers.

Stanford Earth Matters

Overlooked process in bacteria may shed light on ancient environments

Geologists assume when they find molecules called sterols in soils or rocks they indicate the presence of plants, animals or fungi in ancient environments. But discovering how some bacteria also produce and modify sterols could change those interpretations.

Inverse

Microbes help solve a central mystery of ancient ocean temperatures

Paula Welander led a research team that studied archaea with the goal of understanding past global temperatures and Earth system dynamics.

School Highlight

Paula Welander, Emily Polk receive Excellence in Teaching Awards

Recipients of the school’s annual Excellence in Teaching Awards are selected based on nominations from students, faculty, and alumni.

Emerald Hot Spring in Yellowstone National Park. (Image credit: Rennett Stowe / flickr)

Stanford Earth Matters

A microbe's membrane helps it survive extreme environments

“Our model is that this organism evolved the ability to make these membranes because it lives in an environment where the acidity changes”

Grass stalks belonging to Gramineae, a family of flowering plants that produce the lipid isoarborinol. Image credit: Nomarcland

Stanford Earth Matters

Bacterial discovery solves 20-year-old molecular paleontology mystery

A fatty molecule once thought to be unique to flowering plants has turned up in bacteria skimmed from the Adriatic Sea and may provide biotech insights.

All mentions

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