Mahesh ANAND is a Professor of Planetary Science and Exploration at the Open University, UK. He received his PhD from the University of Cambridge, UK and subsequently worked as a researcher at the University of Tennessee, USA and at the Natural History Museum, in London, UK before joining the OU.

Mahesh’s research work has spanned geological studies of ancient igneous terrains on Earth to diamonds to lunar, martian and other meteoritic samples. His recent research has focused on understanding the origin and distribution of volatiles in the inner Solar System through laboratory investigations of extra-terrestrial samples.

Mahesh has supervised over 30 PhD students and postdocs and has authored >100 research papers in journals of high-scientific standing. He is passionate about public engagement with science and is a keen advocate of applying scientific knowledge derived from fundamental research to inform planetary exploration programmes. He currently chairs the UK-node of the NASA Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute (SSERVI) and is the Vice President (G) of the Royal Astronomical Society.