Her research interests involve astrochemistry and astrobiology. Her observational research includes studies with the giant Keck telescopes in Hawaii of gas and dust disks surrounding young stars. She also investigates the nature and evolution of the enormous interstellar clouds of dust and gas from which new stars will form. She is particularly interested in the formation of complex organic molecules within these clouds and disks, and of the role these molecules play in the origin of life ? on Earth and perhaps elsewhere.