Dr. Smrekar is a senior research scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory/Caltech. She is an expert on the surface and interior of Venus. Her work focuses on understanding the key factors that cause terrestrial planets, especially Venus and Earth, to evolve along different paths. Her research integrates geophysical modeling, data analysis, and geologic constraints. She is the PI of the VERITAS mission to Venus and the former Deputy PI of the InSight mission to Mars.