World's Best Scientists 2026 revealed!

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Earth Science

D-Index
52
Citations
11815
World Ranking
2996
National Ranking
1222

Overview

David S. McKay was affiliated with the Johnson Space Center in the United States. Their research contributions spanned multiple interconnected fields, notably Astronomy and Astrophysics, Physiology, Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis, Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine, and Ecology.

Their recent published papers addressed a range of scientific topics. One significant work was published in 2022 titled Comparative pulmonary toxicities of lunar dusts and terrestrial dusts (TiO2 & SiO2) in rats and an assessment of the impact of particle-generated oxidants on the dusts' toxicities, appearing in Inhalation Toxicology. Another notable publication from 2021 was Indigenous carbon-rich matter associated with unusual aqueous alteration features in Nakhla: Complex formation and preservation history in Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta. Alongside these, their work included a supplementary material publication in 2021 for Experimental accreditation of outputs of noisy quantum computers released via Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research), and a 2025 paper titled COVID-19 vaccination in patients at higher risk of anaphylaxis: A safe and pragmatic approach in Clinical Infection in Practice.

Their research topics often focused on areas including:

  • Spaceflight effects on biology
  • Climate Change and Health Impacts
  • Occupational and environmental lung diseases
  • Planetary Science and Exploration
  • Astro and Planetary Science
  • Isotope Analysis in Ecology

Frequent coauthors in their publications included Chiu-Wing Lam, Vincent Castranova, Patti C. Zeidler-Erdely, Roger A. Renne, and Robert L. Hunter. Their collaboration spanned diverse fields related to toxicology, pulmonary medicine, and planetary science.

David S. McKay's publishing record was distributed across several scientific venues, reflecting the multidisciplinary nature of their work:

  • Inhalation Toxicology
  • Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta
  • Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
  • Clinical Infection in Practice

Through their contributions, McKay addressed complex questions including the biological effects of spaceflight, environmental lung disease mechanisms, and planetary materials chemistry. Their work intersected fields critical to understanding health risks related to environmental exposures and space exploration.

Best Publications

  • Search for past life on Mars: possible relic biogenic activity in martian meteorite ALH84001.

    David S. McKay;Everett K. Gibson;Kathie L. Thomas-Keprta;Hojatollah Vali

  • Space weathering on airless bodies: Resolving a mystery with lunar samples

    Carlé M. Pieters;Larry A. Taylor;Sarah K. Noble;Lindsay P. Keller

  • The nature and origin of rims on lunar soil grains

    Lindsay P. Keller;David S. McKay

  • Discovery of vapor deposits in the lunar regolith

    Lindsay P. Keller;David S. McKay

  • Lunar Mare Soils: Space weathering and the major effects of surface‐correlated nanophase Fe

    Lawrence A. Taylor;Carlé M. Pieters;Lindsay P. Keller;Richard V. Morris

  • Elongated prismatic magnetite crystals in ALH84001 carbonate globules: Potential Martian magnetofossils

    Kathie L. Thomas-Keprta;Dennis A. Bazylinski;Joseph L. Kirschvink;Simon J. Clemett

  • Lunar deposits of possible pyroclastic origin

    Geant H Heiken;David S McKay;R.W Brown

  • Truncated hexa-octahedral magnetite crystals in ALH84001 : Presumptive biosignatures

    Kathie L. Thomas-Keprta;Simon J. Clemett;Dennis A. Bazylinski;Joseph L. Kirschvink

  • Carbon abundance and silicate mineralogy of anhydrous interplanetary dust particles

    Kathie L. Thomas;George E. Blanford;Lindsay P. Keller;Wolfgang Klöck

  • An assessment of the meteoritic contribution to the Martian soil

    George J. Flynn;David S. McKay

  • The optical properties of the finest fraction of lunar soil: Implications for space weathering

    Sarah K. Noble;Carlé M. Pieters;Lawrence A. Taylor;Richard V. Morris

  • Unusual olivine and pyroxene composition in interplanetary dust and unequilibrated ordinary chondrites

    W. Klöck;K. L. Thomas;D. S. McKay;H. Palme

  • Mineralogical and chemical characterization of lunar highland soils: Insights into the space weathering of soils on airless bodies

    Lawrence A. Taylor;Carlé Pieters;Allan Patchen;Dong-Hwa S. Taylor

  • Magnetofossils from Ancient Mars: a Robust Biosignature in the Martian Meteorite ALH84001

    Kathie L. Thomas-Keprta;Simon J. Clemett;Dennis A. Bazylinski;Joseph L. Kirschvink

  • Chemical weathering and diagenesis of a cold desert soil from Wright Valley, Antarctica - An analog of Martian weathering processes

    Everett K. Gibson;Susan J. Wentworth;David S. McKay

  • Morphologic and spectral investigation of exceptionally well-preserved bacterial biofilms from the Oligocene Enspel formation, Germany

    J.K.W Toporski;J.K.W Toporski;A Steele;A Steele;F Westall;R Avci

  • The simulated silicification of bacteria--new clues to the modes and timing of bacterial preservation and implications for the search for extraterrestrial microfossils.

    Jan K.W. Toporski;Andrew Steele;Frances Westall;Kathie L. Thomas-Keprta

  • Properties of Lunar Soil Simulant JSC-1

    Brian M. Willman;Walter W. Boles;David S. McKay;Carlton C. Allen

  • Life on Mars: evaluation of the evidence within Martian meteorites ALH84001, Nakhla, and Shergotty

    E.K. Gibson;D.S. McKay;K.L. Thomas-Keprta;S.J. Wentworth

  • Polymeric substances and biofilms as biomarkers in terrestrial materials: Implications for extraterrestrial samples

    Frances Westall;Andrew Steele;Jan Toporski;Maud Walsh

  • Oxygen extraction from lunar soils and pyroclastic glass

    Carlton C. Allen;Richard V. Morris;David S. McKay

  • Antarctic Dry Valleys and indigenous weathering in Mars meteorites: Implications for water and life on Mars

    Susan J. Wentworth;Everett K. Gibson;Michael A. Velbel;David S. McKay

Frequent Co-Authors

Andrew Steele
Andrew Steele Carnegie Institution for Science
Lindsay P. Keller
Lindsay P. Keller Arizona State University
Lawrence A. Taylor
Lawrence A. Taylor University of Tennessee at Knoxville
Hojatollah Vali
Hojatollah Vali McGill University
Joseph L. Kirschvink
Joseph L. Kirschvink California Institute of Technology
Carle M. Pieters
Carle M. Pieters Brown University
Richard V. Morris
Richard V. Morris Langley Research Center
Dennis A. Bazylinski
Dennis A. Bazylinski University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Frances Westall
Frances Westall Centre national de la recherche scientifique, CNRS
Michael E. Zolensky
Michael E. Zolensky National Aeronautics and Space Administration

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