Rachel Wilson earned a Ph.D. in Chemical Oceanography from Florida State University.  Her dissertation research focused on the development and application of stable isotope models combined with priority organic pollutant analyses to describe foodwebs, delineate foraging ranges, and identify potential prey items of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in the northeast Gulf of Mexico.

In 2012, Rachel was awarded a Department of Energy supported National Research Council postdoctoral fellowship to apply isotopic methods to understand processes related to the production, cycling, and emission of carbon from marine sediments.  Specifically, her current research focuses on understanding the stability constraints of gas hydrates, a potentially large methane reservoir found in permafrost and in marine environments along continental margins.