I apply a background in molecular biology, biochemistry, and phytoplankton physiology to uncover the sequence of events that shaped the evolution of the modern oceans and phytoplankton. Essentially, I seek to unravel details regarding the CO-EVOLUTION of life and Earth. Want to hear me talk about some details? Check out this podcast.

For my undergraduate work, I completed a double-degree program including a B.A. in Biology (Chemistry) along with a B.M. in Oboe Performance at Oberlin College and Conservatory of Music. I finished my Ph.D. in Oceanography as a member of the Environmental Biophysics and Molecular Ecology Group at the Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences at Rutgers University. My dissertation work focused on the evolution and selection of the powerful metalloenzyme antioxidant superoxide dismutase and its biogeochemical evolution in phytoplankton and was completed under the guidance of Dr. Paul Falkowski and Dr. Oscar Schofield. I was awarded a National Science Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship which I have utilized to work under the mentorship of Dr. Ariel Anbar at Arizona State University and subsequently with Dr. Ann Pearson at Harvard University