GMGI - Key Persons
Andrea is a scientist whose research interests lie at the intersection of marine biology and human health. With experience in both academic and industry settings, she brings a unique perspective and broad experience important to establishing a new world-class research institute. Prior to joining GMGI as the Science Director, Andrea was a Senior Scientist in the Molecular Discovery Lab at the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences (BIOS). At BIOS, her research program focused on using sea urchins as models to understand the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying extreme longevity, negligible aging, and naturally occurring resistance to cancer. Prior to that, Andrea held Senior Scientist positions in the Oncology Department of Hoffman-La Roche, the Department of Cell Biology and Pharmacology at Geron Corporation, and the Bioprocessing Technology Institute at the National University of Singapore. She received a BSc and Ph.D. in Biochemistry from McMaster University in Canada and conducted post-doctoral studies in the Department of Neurological Science at the University of London.
Education
1985 - BSc Biochemistry, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
1991 - PhD Biochemistry, McMaster University, Advisor: Richard A. Rachubinski
Research Interests
My research interests lie at the intersection of marine biology and human health with a particular focus on developing marine animal models for biomedical research. In the early part of my career, I worked in both academic and industry settings focused on questions related to human aging and cancer biology. In 2003, I joined the faculty at the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences and refocused my research to study long-lived marine invertebrates in an effort to understand how these animals live such long and healthy lives. Since joining GMGI in 2017, I have continued to study sea urchins as models to identify the key genes and cellular pathways involved in long-term maintenance of tissues and resistance to cancer. Some species of sea urchins can live to extraordinary old ages - more than 100 years - without any evidence of age-related decline and no reported cases of cancer. Because sea urchins share a close genetic relationship with humans, they represent ideal models to investigate the molecular and cellular pathways contributing to longevity and disease resistance with direct relevance to human health. Insight gained from studying negligible aging in sea urchins may reveal novel genes and pathways that promote healthy aging and identify new preventative or therapeutic strategies for human age-related degenerative diseases.
Education
1985 - BSc Biochemistry, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
1991 - PhD Biochemistry, McMaster University, Advisor: Richard A. Rachubinski
Job Titles:
- Chief Financial Officer of Atlantic Harbor Group
Ann Marie has worked in the financial services industry for over 30 years. Currently, Ann Marie is the Chief Financial Officer of Atlantic Harbor Group, a family office. Previously, she was in finance for 15 years at Bain Capital and started her career at Price Waterhouse. Ann Marie earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Babson College.
Ann Marie volunteers at Boston area non-profit organizations. At GMGI she served on the Audit Finance Committee from 2018 to 2021 and now serves on the Financial Aid Committee. In addition, Ann Marie has been actively involved for over 12 years on a variety of committees and a Board Member for six years at Rosie's Place, an organization that serves poor and homeless women.
Ann Marie resides in Hamilton, MA.
Ashley comes to GMGI from a split background of working in nonprofits as well as television production. A graduate of the University of Miami, Ashley spent 5 years in Los Angeles producing network television, including America's Funniest Home Videos and Dancing with the Stars. After moving to the North Shore, she began her career working in non-profits. She coordinated programming for youth with mental health challenges and now helps to manage GMGI's communications strategy. A Gloucester resident, Ashley enjoys spending time outside with her two sons and cheering on her favorite sports teams.
Harke, M. J., C. J. Gobler, S. E. Shumway. 2011. Suspension feeding by the Atlantic slipper limpet (Crepidula fornicata) and the northern quahog (Mercenaria mercenaria) in the presence of cultured and wild populations of the harmful brown tide alga, Aureococcus anophagefferens. Harmful Algae 10(5):503-511. doi: 10.1016/j.hal.2011.03.005.
Chris is a seasoned leader with experience in financial services, entrepreneurship, and higher education. Prior to joining GMGI, Chris served as Director of Career Education at MIT's Sloan School of Management, overseeing the team providing career development across the portfolio of graduate business degrees. Previously, Chris was a leadership coach with Harvard Business School, Managing Partner of a private equity executive search practice in NYC, and Vice President of Emerging Markets with JP Morgan, where she worked in the US and abroad.
Chris is passionate about expanding access to STEM education opportunities, serves on the Masconomet Regional High School School Committee, and has served on the boards of multiple education organizations including Wesleyan University's President's Council. She graduated from Wesleyan where she received a Bachelor's degree in Government. Chris and her husband have lived on the North Shore for 20+ years and enjoy spending time on Cape Ann's beaches with their three daughters.
Job Titles:
- Senior Director of Protein Science and Innovation
Chris is both an experienced scientist and research director having spent most of his career working at New England Biolabs, a leading life sciences enzyme and reagent company. He has performed research for over 33 years on many topics related to the discovery, recombinant production, analytical characterization, and biotechnological and pharmaceutical application of enzymes. In that role, he has made significant contributions to basic science with over 70 publications. Chris is also an experienced R&D director having served for 18 years as the Scientific Director of the Protein Expression & Modification research division at New England Biolabs. In that capacity, he led a department of researchers on a broad range of both applied and basic research topics in protein science. He has also served on the both the corporate and scientific boards of several biotech companies. Chris is a big-picture strategic thinker who excels at designing and implementing R&D programs, collaborations, and partnerships. He is also passionate about mentoring and development of early-career scientists.
Education
1990 - BSc Biochemistry, Colby College, Waterville, Maine
1999 - PhD Biochemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Cindy is a leader in genetics and multi-omic technologies and is the current Director of Population Health at Olink. Her mission is to lower the barrier of entry for implementing scalable, and reproducible solutions in the areas of individualized medicine and health quality. In over 14 years at Illumina she developed genetic and genomic based solutions to advance the understanding of human health, as well as production traits in agriculture species and holds several awards for technology transfer from the US government recognizing these efforts. As a founder in conservation innovation, she is also passionate about enabling access to the latest genetic technologies to advance wildlife conservation, fisheries, and marine science. With her unique cross-functional background in both marine science and technology, she has been well positioned to guide the team at Gloucester Marine Genomics Institute and has been an enthusiastic member of its scientific advisory since its inception.
Dylan brings a background in marine ecology, field biology, and in conservation and restoration science as applied to coastal ecosystems to his work at GMGI. Having grown up locally on Cape Ann, he has an affinity for all things shellfish.
After completing a B.A. in environmental studies at the University of Vermont, Dylan spent a few years ski-bumming, working odd-jobs, and traveling before returning home to complete a M.S. in marine biology at Northeastern University. During his graduate research, he focused on shellfish restoration efforts in southern New England, comparing growth conditions among different populations of eastern oysters to better inform restoration science.
Prior to joining GMGI, Dylan helped start an aquaculture farm, worked as a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) fisheries observer, was a bicycle mechanic, snowmaker, schooner deckhand, and sailboat delivery captain, and volunteered in several marine science labs. When he's not in the lab or out in the marshes, Dylan enjoys surfing, skiing, mountain biking, and gardening.
Education
2011 - B.A. Environmental Studies, University of Vermont
2016 - M.S. Marine Biology, Northeastern University, Advisors: Jon Grabowski & Randall Hughes
Emma Strand is originally from Seattle, Washington, where she grew up close to the ocean and started her career in marine biology at the Seattle Aquarium. She completed her B.S. in Biology at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, California in 2018. During her time at LMU, Emma was a research assistant for a marine ecophysiology laboratory that focused on understanding phenotypic plasticity in blue mussels, Mytilus edulis, in response to thermal stress. Additionally, she was a coral reef research intern at Roatán Institute for Marine Sciences in Roatán, Honduras, and completed a National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduates (NSF REU) at Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences (BIOS). At BIOS, Emma's research investigated the genetic structure of baitfish populations around the island of Bermuda to incorporate into Bermuda's environmental policies. After LMU, Emma completed her Ph.D. in Biological and Environmental Sciences with a specialization in Evolution and Marine Biology with Dr. Hollie Putnam at the University of Rhode Island. Her dissertation examined the physiological, genomic, and symbiotic mechanisms underlying differential stress tolerance in corals. Emma's research was based at the Hawai‘i Institute of Marine Biology in Kaneohe Bay, O‘ahu, Hawai‘i, and the Richard B. Gump Research Station in Mo'orea, French Polynesia. While at URI, Emma also worked with the Sustainable Fisheries Research Group to analyze the impacts of fishing gear type on household nutrition and catch in fishing villages on the coast of Ghana. Outside of the laboratory and computer analysis, Emma served as a scientific research scuba diver for URI, divemaster, and as a graduate student representative on URI's Diving Control Board. Now at GMGI, Emma is a Postdoctoral Scientist with the Fisheries Team. Outside of work, she enjoys outdoor activities like hiking, running, and playing in her flag football leagues.
Education
2018 - BS Biology, Loyola Marymount University
2023 - PhD Biological and Environmental Sciences: Evolution and Marine Biology, University of Rhode Island
Research Interests
Emma's research focuses on two main questions: 1.) How do genomic patterns influence physiological state and ultimately organismal function? 2.) How can scientists optimize application and conservation using genomic techniques in ecosystem-based management practices?
To answer these questions, Emma's PhD work focused on how DNA methylation patterns may alter gene expression and downstream physiology in two non-model marine invertebrates: 1) two Hawaiian reef-building corals during stress and recovery periods and 2) Eastern oysters in variable nutrient environments across Narragansett Bay. At GMGI, she uses these same techniques to track changes in DNA methylation patterns that correlate with age in fish to predict the age of individuals more accurately and non-destructively. Sustainable fisheries management relies on accurate age data to generate population rates, estimate stock size, and inform harvest recommendations. Currently, fisheries are limited to using length or fish ear stones (otoliths) to approximate age despite these methods being inaccurate, labor-intensive, and/or lethal. By analyzing the changes in DNA methylation patterns, we can move away from destructive measures and predict age more accurately.
Education
2018 - BS Biology, Loyola Marymount University
2023 - PhD Biological and Environmental Sciences: Evolution and Marine Biology, University of Rhode Island
Hannah comes to GMGI with a background in the sciences as well as education. Originally from Vermont, Hannah earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Vermont in Fisheries Biology while studying winter zooplankton migration. Originally, she moved to Gloucester in the summer of 2016 to work on a whale watch boat, then taught Biology, Chemistry, and Language Arts tutorials at Landmark High School. Hannah earned her master's in Special Education from Boston University. In the summer of 2023, she continued her passion for science and education at Halibut Point State Park in Rockport before joining GMGI's administration team.
Hannah enjoys spending her free time learning about the history of Cape Ann and exploring the abundance of nature trails and beaches on Cape Ann and the Northshore. She also enjoys traveling and visiting her family in South Carolina and southern Vermont.
Job Titles:
- Senior Research Associate
Jennifer joined our team in 2017, bringing a background in marine biology, DNA sequencing, and bioinformatics to GMGI. Originally from Michigan, she earned a B.A. in Biology and Mathematics from Albion College before moving to Florida to complete an M.S. in Marine Biology at Florida Atlantic University's Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute.
She first used next-generation sequencing (NGS) during her graduate work, characterizing zooxanthellae (single-celled algae living in symbiosis with corals) in reefs in the Gulf of Mexico. After completing her Masters and prior to joining GMGI, she gained more genomics experience working in the Bay Paul Center for Comparative Molecular Biology and Evolution at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, MA.
Jennifer is also an avid SCUBA diver and underwater photographer.
Education
2014 - BA Biology & Mathematics, Albion College, Albion, Michigan
2016 - MSc Biology, Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, Florida Atlantic University, Advisor: Joshua Voss
John Doyle is an experienced science teacher with more than a decade of classroom and lab instruction at public high schools in Massachusetts and New Jersey. He has also taught courses in marine science, ecology, evolutionary biology at the University of Connecticut, and in the Department of Physics and Earth Sciences at Framingham State University.
He is passionate about designing curricula that foster experiential learning, encouraging students' sense of curiosity, and teaching them to use science to effectively identify and solve problems. In his work with Gloucester Biotechnology Academy, John has cleared pathways to professional, educational, and personal success for students who are too often unable to access the opportunities presented by post-secondary STEM education and career training.
John holds a B.S. in Biology with a minor in English from Saint Peter's University, an M.S. in Molecular Biology from Montclair State University, and a Ph.D. in Oceanography from the University of Connecticut.
Job Titles:
- Marine Scientist
- Research Scientist II
Kevin Penn is a passionate and experienced marine scientist with a diverse background in both academic research and biotech industry settings. His journey in microbial ecology and genomics has been driven by a deep-seated curiosity about the intricate complexities of marine ecosystems and their inhabitants.
Throughout his career, he has been fortunate to contribute to cutting-edge research projects aimed at understanding and harnessing the potential of marine organisms for the betterment of our oceans and society. From doctoral studies delving into the comparative genomics of marine actinobacteria to spearheading an antibiotic discovery program in the biotech industry, he has continuously sought to push the boundaries of knowledge in marine genomics.
Kevin's academic endeavors have been complemented by practical experiences, such as mentoring scientists in marine microbiology techniques and leading expeditions to collect samples from diverse marine environments. These experiences have not only enriched his understanding of marine ecosystems but have also instilled in him a deep appreciation for collaborative and interdisciplinary research approaches.
Education
2012 - PhD Marine Biology, University of California, San Diego, Scripps Institution of Oceanography
Job Titles:
- Teaching Assistant and Laboratory Technician
Kristen comes to the Academy with a background in marine biology and teaching. Originally from California, she moved to Massachusetts in 2016 to complete her undergraduate degree at Salem State University. After graduating in 2020 with a B.S. in Biology, with a concentration in marine biology and a minor in chemistry, she spent two years teaching general science at O'Maley Innovation Middle School in Gloucester and continues to be excited by her developing career in science education and research.
When not at the Academy she is in her garden, collecting seaweed to add to her herbarium, or traveling and camping in various national parks.
Job Titles:
- Director of Enrollment and Partnerships
Laura is an experienced education leader who is committed to increasing students' access to high-quality educational opportunities. She began her career as a public school teacher in Washington, D.C. Later, she served as the Director of Educational Initiatives at an education organization in Lawrence, MA, leading professional development for educators and supporting classroom teachers, childcare providers, and afterschool program staff. Prior to joining GMGI, she managed the Office of District Reviews and Monitoring at the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
Laura has an M.Ed. from the Harvard Graduate School of Education and an MBA from the Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University. She lives with her family in Gloucester, where they spend time making music, canoeing, playing on the beach, and making maple syrup, which they sell to fundraise aid for Syrian refugees.
Job Titles:
- Accounting and Operations Manager
Liz is a lifelong Cape Ann resident and comes to GMGI with a diverse business administrative background. As a graduate of Salem State University, Liz holds a Bachelor's Degree in Business Management and has previously worked at both non-profit and for profit organization. Liz enjoys taking in all that living in New England has to offer, spending her free time on the water, road trips and camping in the New England mountains.
Logan is an accomplished fundraiser with experience in higher education, environmental not-for-profits, and consulting. Most recently, Logan served as Director of Development for the Becker Friedman Institute for Economics at the University of Chicago, overseeing the institute's fundraising strategy and operations. Previously, Logan held various fundraising leadership roles at the University of Waterloo - one of Canada's top STEM universities. In earlier environmentally focused roles, Logan fundraised for the Grand River Conservation Foundation in Ontario as well as the Charles River Conservancy in Cambridge, MA.
Logan is passionate about the marine environment and expanding student access to transformative educational opportunities. A native of Middleton, MA, Logan knows Cape Ann well: enjoying its natural beauty in all seasons, learning to sail in Rockport, and participating in Cape Ann's arts and culture events.
Madeleine is an alumna of Gloucester Biotechnology Academy, part of the inaugural class of 2017. Her Academy internship led her to Dana Farber's Center for Cancer Systems Biology, where she helped map the human Proteome interactome, which is the set of all proteins' interactions in human cells, and fundamental to the study of human genomics.
After graduating from the Academy with a Certificate in Biotechnology, she joined Lariat Biosciences, Inc. as a research associate and assisted in the development of a microfluidics-based lung cancer screening test. Madeleine next joined Pulsar Bio, Inc. to research DNA-encoded library technology, which aims to accelerate drug discovery and development.
She is currently enrolled at Salem State as an undergraduate, also working as a peer tutor and as a supplemental instructor for various life-science courses. Madeleine enjoys blending her industry experience, her teaching and tutoring, and her Academy background, and looks forward to contributing more to the Academy'swork. When she's not in the classroom or lab, Madeleine enjoys immersing herself in local history, and you can often find her touring historic homes and museums around Cape Ann.
Maggie comes to GMGI from the New England Aquarium where she specialized in non-profit program management, marine education, and science communication. She coordinated their free lecture series as well as the National Network for Ocean and Climate Change Interpretation (NNOCCI). Before the Aquarium, she worked with AIS Observers as a Marine Recreational Information Program Field Interviewer where she worked with recreational fisherman to record data regarding their catch. Maggie earned her B.S. in Marine, Estuarine, and Freshwater Biology from the University of New Hampshire, and looks forward to using her background and science communication skills to help the community understand the importance of GMGI's work. In her free time, Maggie enjoys spending time in the outdoors hiking or skiing in the winter and visiting her grandmother's farm in Vermont. She is also a certified scientific SCUBA diver.
Matt Harke comes to GMGI with broad interests in molecular and aquatic microbial ecology. Before joining GMGI, he was an Associate Research Scientist at Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory where he used metatranscriptomics to characterize the distribution, composition, and function of microorganisms in situ and in response to physical and chemical changes. He completed his MS and PhD at Stony Brook University investigating a range of topics including harmful algal bloom ecology (both fresh and marine), benthic-pelagic coupling, and microbial ecology.
Education
1997 - BSc English, University of Wisconsin - Madison, Madison, WI, USA
2009 - MS Marine & Atmospheric Science, School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences (SoMAS), Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA, Advisor: Christopher J. Gobler
2015 - PhD Marine & Atmospheric Science, School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences (SoMAS), Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA, Advisor: Christopher J. Gobler
Job Titles:
- Teaching Assistant and Laboratory Technician
Mel comes to GMGI with a background in environmental science and teaching. As a 2022 graduate of Endicott College, she earned her B.S. in Environmental Science, completing a thesis focused on invasive seaweed. Throughout college, she was fortunate to have the opportunity to work for organizations with a strong focus on STEM education such as the New England Coastal Wildlife Alliance, the New England Aquarium, and Mass Audubon. When not teaching at the Academy, she can be found at the beach, hiking, or playing rugby.
Rachel has over 25 years of experience supporting science and place-based programs, from studying mangrove trees as a research technician with the Smithsonian Institution to managing international corporate sustainability programs to serving as Executive Director of hyperlocal nonprofits supporting economic development, diversity, and sustainability. She is passionate about science, art, and everything local and place-based. To that end, she volunteers as an Essex Heritage Commissioner, and a Girl Scout troop leader, and serves on several local committees and boards. Rachel is a proud first-generation college graduate with a science undergraduate degree from Antioch College in Yellow Spring, Ohio, a Master's in Marine, Estuarine, and Environmental Sciences from the University of Maryland, and a Master's in Nonprofit Leadership and Management from the University of San Diego. She lives in Salem, MA, and spends much of her time at home trying to keep up with her garden and her two sporty theater kids.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Laboratory Manager / Laboratory Technician
After graduating from Ipswich High School, Reanna attended Gloucester Biotechnology Academy, where she found a passion for cell culture. While at the Academy, she interned at GMGI, building cell culture tools for sea urchins which are used at GMGI for models of aging and cancer resistance. After graduating as part of the GBA class of 2022 with a Certificate in Biotechnology, she joined GMGI full time to continue her work on sea urchin cells. She has also taken on the role of assistant lab manager and helps to keep the lab up and running. When she's not at work, Reanna likes to roller skate, paint, and learn choreographies.
Riss' love of science and curiosity for the ocean was fostered through growing up in the Woods Hole area of Cape Cod, home to Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) and a thriving ocean science community. As a high school student, Riss first entered the marine science world by volunteering in the Saito lab at WHOI during summer breaks. After completing their BS in Biology at Boston College, they returned to the Saito lab in 2017 to pursue a Ph.D. in Chemical Oceanography. After graduating in May 2022, Riss gained experience in the biotech space and honed their microbiology skills as an Associate Scientist at a small biotech working on the expression of recombinant antibodies with therapeutic applications in the context of human diseases. Wanting to combine their interests in both human health and marine sciences, Riss joined GMGI as a postdoctoral scientist as part of the biomedical team. Outside of the lab, Riss enjoys biking, kayaking, swimming and geocaching.
Education
2016 - BS Biology, Boston College
2022 - PhD Chemical Oceanography, MIT/WHOI
Research Interests
As a biogeochemist, Riss is interested in the multi-disciplinary exploration of the links between biological, chemical, and geological processes in the world's oceans and the molecular interactions that occur among them. They explored one facet of this-the links between oceanic phytoplankton and trace metal nutrients- over the course of their PhD work, focusing on the essential trace metal nutrient zinc (Zn) and it's metabolic demand by marine photoautotrophs, which contribute significantly to global primary production and carbon cycling. During their PhD, Riss honed their proteomics skills by detecting and characterizing two novel Zn-related proteins in four species in marine diatoms-these "ZCRPs" (Zn/Co Responsive Proteins) were deployed as biomarkers to diagnose oceanic regions of Zn stress. Their time in industry allowed them to realize a desire to pursue scientific endeavors with the goal of improving human health. Believing that the ocean holds great untapped potential that could be applied to this goal, Riss' current research interests at GMGI center on developing sea urchins as marine model organisms for human health due to their natural longevity and cancer resistance.
Education
2016 - BS Biology, Boston College
2022 - PhD Chemical Oceanography, MIT/WHOI
Sadie comes to the Academy with a background in teaching and marine science. She graduated Eckerd College in 2020 with a B.S. in Marine Science and a minor in Math. Sadie then spent a year teaching physics, chemistry, and math to high school students with learning differences in Washington, D.C. As a U.S. Foreign Service "brat," Sadie spent more than half her youth abroad, going to school in six countries on four continents. She is also a certified diver who, ironically, is prone to sea sickness.
Job Titles:
- Research Associate III & Laboratory Manager
Sarah comes to GMGI with a background in higher education administration, most recently working collaboratively with faculty and administration within the School of Nursing and Health Sciences at Merrimack College. Originally from Upstate New York, she earned a bachelor's degree in Psychology from Le Moyne College and relocated to Massachusetts to complete her Master's in Higher Education Administration at Merrimack College. After completing her graduate program, Sarah started her career in the non-profit sector and was quickly drawn to the impact organizations have on the community.
As a resident of Gloucester, Sarah enjoys spending time exploring Cape Ann and the North Shore with her husband and daughter.
Job Titles:
- Biomanufacturing Lead Teacher
Stephen F. Anderson is a protein chemist with more than 20 years of experience in the Boston-area biotech industry. He has run core protein production and analytical labs at all levels, from biotech startups to Big Pharma, and supported multiple projects from discovery to manufacturing.
Stephen has taught introductory college biochemistry laboratory courses, presented at numerous protein science conferences, and has an extensive track record of training, evaluating, and mentoring scientists at all skill levels.
He holds a B.S. in biochemistry from Michigan State University, a Ph.D. in molecular biophysics and biochemistry from Yale University, and did postdoctoral work in mammalian transcription biology at Harvard Medical School.
Steve is the Jane and Marshall Steel Jr. Professor of Marine Sciences and Senior Fellow at the Woods Institute for the Environment at Stanford University. Steve has long been fascinated by how quickly the world around us changes. Work on the genomics of marine organisms tries to focus on basic evolutionary questions but also on practical solutions to questions about how to preserve and protect the diverse life in the sea. Steve has lectured extensively on human-induced evolutionary change, has used genetic detective work to identify whales, seahorses, rockfish and sharks for sale in retail markets, and is developing genomic methods to help find ocean species resistant to climate change. Work on corals in American Samoa and Palau has identified corals more resilient to heat stress. Work at the Hopkins Marine Station focuses on how kelp, sea urchins, abalone and mussels respond to short term environmental changes and to environmental shifts over small spatial scales. Steve is a Fellow of the California Academy of Sciences, a member of the National Academy of Science, a Pew Fellow in Marine Conservation, and was awarded the Peter Benchley Ocean Award for Excellence in Science. In addition to hundreds of published scientific research papers, Steve has published several books for non-scientists including The Extreme Life of the Sea, The Death and Life of Monterey Bay: A Story of Revival, and The Evolution Explosion. Steve helped write, research and also appears in the BBC series The Future is Wild and the History Channel's World Without People. Other recent films appearances include The End of the Line, and the Canadian Broadcasting series One Ocean. Major work continues on the microdocumentary project, the Short Attention Span Science Theater. Steve received his PhD in Marine Ecology from the University of Washington and started his career as a Professor at the University of Hawaii before moving to a Professorship at Harvard University and then joining the faculty of Stanford University in 2002.
Underwood, E.B., T.L. Darden, T.P. O'Donnell, and P.R. Kingsley-Smith. 2019. Population genetic structure and diversity of the invasive island apple snail, Pomacea maculataIa (Perry, 1810), in South Carolina and Georgia, USA. Journal of Shellfish Research 38(1): 163-175. doi: 10.2983/035.038.0115
Originally from the North Shore area, Taylor joined GMGI after completing both her bachelor's degree and master's degree at the University of New England in Biddeford, Maine. Her previous research spanned both marine ecology and molecular biology as she pieced together the diet of seals using DNA from their intestinal contents. It is from this work that she became interested in genomics and the molecular biology side of science.
Outside of research, Taylor enjoys swimming, traveling, and spending time with friends. She also loves to scuba dive, preferably in warmer warmers, as she is PADI advanced open water certified.
Education
2022 - B.S. Marine Science with a concentration in Marine Biology, University of New England
2023 - M.S. Marine Science, University of New England
Research Interests
During my master's research, I utilized DNA analysis to compare the diets of grey seals and harbor seals using their intestinal contents. Due to seals foraging below the surface of the water, it is difficult to identify the prey they consume. Through molecular techniques and bioinformatics, I was able to identify the composition of each seal species' diet and determine if there was any overlap between the two. This project exemplifies how molecular tools can produce ecological information on topics like interspecific competition, niche overlap, and food habits.
Job Titles:
- Researcher
- Research Scientist I
Tim O'Donnell is a researcher focusing on addressing critical issues related to the health and management of fisheries using molecular tools.
He comes to GMGI from Charleston, SC where he worked at the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources as a wildlife biologist, concentrating on population genetics in a variety of commercially and recreationally important fish species. Tim has a M.S. in marine biology from the College of Charleston, where he studied the genetic population structure of spotted seatrout off the southeastern U.S coast.
Tim's interests in the marine environment and molecular biology were piqued while earning his B.S. in wildlife and fisheries science and researching symbiotic organisms in tropical corals using molecular techniques at Penn State. When not at work, Tim enjoys cooking, fishing, hiking, and cheering on the Nittany Lions on the gridiron.
Education
2010 - BSc Wildlife and Fisheries Science, Penn State University
2013 - MS Marine Biology, College of Charleston, Advisor: Tanya L. Darden
Zachary Dench is a graduate of Gloucester Biotechnology Academy's class of 2018. Before his time at the Academy, he worked unloading lobster boats for New England lobster and cooking for the Alchemy restaurant and Common Crow natural market. During the internship portion of the Academy program, Zachary worked in the Center for Cancer Systems Biology lab at Dana Farber, on the project creating a map of the interactions between the human body's 20,000 proteins. Now working as a laboratory technician at GMGI, Zachary is a Gloucester native and uses his spare time to hike around Ravenswood park or Dogtown.