Dr. Koskinen’s research focuses on the structure and evolution of planet and satellite atmospheres in the solar system and extrasolar planetary systems.  He is particularly interested in the physics and chemistry of the middle and upper atmosphere that he studies through both the analysis of observations and theoretical modeling.  His research covers a wide range of different objects and techniques in the spirit of comparative planetology, which is critical to our understanding of the evolution of planetary atmospheres and environments in general.  Dr. Koskinen served as a participating scientist on the Cassini mission and he is still actively involved in research on the atmospheres of Saturn and Titan.  In addition, he develops and maintains models of exoplanet atmospheres that are required to interpret current and planned observations as well as to simulate mass loss and address questions on long-term evolution.