Background
Rubins was born in Farmington, Connecticut and raised in Napa, California.
Rubins was born in Farmington, Connecticut and raised in Napa, California.
She graduated from Vintage High School, received a Bachelor of Science degree in Molecular Biology from the University of California, San Diego and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Cancer Biology from Stanford University Medical School Biochemistry Department and Microbiology and Immunology Department.
Rubins is married to Michael Magnani. Rubins conducted her undergraduate research on Human Immunodeficiency Virus-1 integration in the Infectious Diseases Laboratory at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies. She analyzed the mechanism of Human Immunodeficiency Virus integration, including several studies of Human Immunodeficiency Virus-1 Integrase inhibitors and genome-wide analyses of Human Immunodeficiency Virus integration patterns into host genomic deoxyribonucleic acid. She obtained her Doctor of Philosophy from Stanford University and, with the United States. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Rubins and colleagues developed the first model of smallpox infection.
She also developed a complete map of the poxvirus transcriptome and studied virus-host interactions using both in-vitro and animal model systems
Rubins accepted a Fellow/Principal Investigator position at the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research (Massachusetts Institute of Technology/Cambridge, Massachusetts) and headed a lab of researchers studying viral diseases that primarily affect Central and West Africa. Work in the Rubins Laboratory focused on poxviruses and host-pathogen interaction as well as viral mechanisms for regulating host cell messenger of Ribonucleic Acid transcription, translation and decay.
In addition, she conducted research on transcriptome and genome sequencing of filoviruses (Ebola and Marburg) and Arenaviruses (Lassa Fever) and collaborative projects with the United States. Army to develop therapies for Ebola and Lassa viruses. She graduated from Astronaut Candidate Training where her training included International Space Station (ISS) systems, Extravehicular Activity (EVA), robotics, physiological training, T-38 flight training and water and wilderness survival training.
Rubins has been selected as a Flight Engineer for ISS Expedition 48/49 launching on Soyuz Mississippi-01 in June 2016.
Rubins was selected in July 2009 as a member of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Astronaut Group 20. She was also a member of the Kappa Lambda chapter of the Chi Omega Fraternity while attending University of California, San Diego. Rubins was selected in July 2009 as one of 14 members of National Aeronautics and Space Administration Astronaut Group 20.