Adriana Marais

Dr. Adriana Marais is an award-winning theoretical physicist and internationally renowned advocate for off-world exploration. Her PhD and postdoctoral work in quantum biology focused on photosynthesis and the origins of the building blocks of life in space. She was Head of Innovation at SAP Africa between 2017 and 2019 and is currently a Director at the Foundation for Space Development Africa. In 2020, she was among five global finalists for Women in Tech's Most Disruptive Woman in Tech Award, and Adriana was one of 100 candidates selected for Mars One, the Dutch effort to land the first humans on Mars with the plan to establish a permanent human colony.