Research

Our research group broadly studies immunotoxicology and comparative immunology in coastal and marine organisms. We are especially interested in multistressor scenarios that capture the realities of what organisms contend with in their environments.

Active Research

PFAS in the Long Island Sound

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are present in environments across the globe. This project explores 1. Specific PFAS compounds and concentrations found in waters near the Long Island Sound, and 2. How increasing temperature scenarios influence PFAS toxicity in fish.

Multistressor impacts on fish immunity

Coastal and estuarine organisms are often subject to rapidly changing environmental conditions that involve fluctuations in abiotic factors such as contaminants, salinity, temperature, and dissolved oxygen, and fluctuations in biotic factors such as the presence of specific bacteria, parasites, and viruses. We aim to explore how various combinations of abiotic and biotic factors influence immunity in a variety of fish species.

Humoral immune responses in sea turtles

In the last few years, antibody tests have gained popularity in the public health realm. However, antibody tests aren't just for humans--we can create specific antibody tests for other species too! Our lab has a suite of sea turtle antibodies that we can use to examine sea turtle plasma or serum to determine if individuals have antibodies against certain bacterial species. With this, we can explore how antibody levels vary with factors such as sea turtle species, size, and sex.

Intestine/immune/microbiome nexus

The intestine plays a vital and unique role in immunity. Using microfluidic chip technology (intestine-on-chip) and organoids, we study how intestinal epithelial cells, immune cells, and bacteria interact and how contaminants alter these interactions.