Lead Principal Investigator
Dr. Paul G. Falkowski, Distinguished Professor
room: 318D
e-mail: falko@marine.rutgers.edu
phone: (848) 932-3426
Research Interests: Biogeochemical cycles, photosynthesis, biological oceanography, molecular biology, biochemistry and biophysics, physiological adaptation, plant physiology, evolution, mathematical modeling, symbiosis.
Faculty Members
Dr. Linda Godfrey, Assistant Research Professor
room: 233B, Wright Geological Laboratory
e-mail: godfrey@marine.rutgers.edu
phone: (732) 445-3427
Research Interests: Evolution of the nitrogen cycle over geological time; light stable and radiogenic isotope geochemistry; development of paired Hf-Nd isotopes as paleoceanographic tracers; hydrogeology and paleoclimate of the Atacama Desert and Southern Altiplano.
Dr. Maxim Gorbunov, Associate Research Professor
room: 309A
e-mail: gorbunov@marine.rutgers.edu
phone: (848) 932-3455
Research Interests: Biological oceanography, coral reefs, biophysics and physiology of photosynthesis, photoreceptors, benthic ecosystems, ocean optics, relationship between physical and biological processes in the ocean, global biogeochemical cycles, remote sensing.
Dr. Oscar Schofield, Distinguished Professor
room: 318C
e-mail: oscar@marine.rutgers.edu
phone: (848) 932-3436
Research Interests: Phytoplankton ecology and physiology. Ocean technologies. Impact of climate change on ocean ecosystems.
Dr. Fiorella Prada, Assistant Professor
room: 114C
email: prada@marine.rutgers.edu
phone: (848) 932-3450
Research Interests: Coral biomineralization and skeletal mechanical properties; climate change impacts on marine ecosystems.
Post-doctoral Associates/Fellows
Dr. Sk Imadul Islam, Post-doctoral Research Associate
room: 303B
e-mail: skimadul.islam@marine.rutgers.edu
phone: (848) 932-3486 or (314) 224-3648
Research Interests: Investigating evolution and biophysics, with a focus on understanding life’s origins, electron transfer mechanisms, molecular self-assembly, and protein structures.
Dr. Corday Selden, Rutgers Presidential Postdoctoral Fellow
room: 318E
e-mail: crselden@marine.rutgers.edu
phone: (848) 932-3428
Research Interests: Biogeochemical cycling, particularly marine nitrogen and carbon cycling; evolution of microbial metabolism; biosphere-geosphere interactions and feedbacks between aquatic ecosystems and global climate; cycling of bioessential trace elements and their isotopes; (isotope) metallomics; N2 fixation.
Visiting Scientists
Dr. Brian J. Stockman, Visiting Scientist
Professor, Department of Chemistry at Adelphi University
room: 204K
e-mail: bstockman@adelphi.edu
phone: (860) 908-2073
Research Interests: Mineral surfaces and evolution of proteins, Origins of life, Biological electron transfer chemistries, Biochemical NMR spectroscopy
Other Staff/Research Members
Beatrice Birrer, Senior Program Coordinator
room: 318
e-mail: bea@marine.rutgers.edu
phone: (848) 932-3436
Liti Haramaty, Laboratory/Technical Researcher
room: 305A
e-mail: haramaty@marine.rutgers.edu
phone: (848) 932-3464
Research Interests: Programmed Cell Death in phytoplankton and its role in bloom demise, and in response to stress and viral infection. Coral bleaching and response of corals and zooxanthellae to stress. The role of apoptosis in coral death after a bleaching event.
Graduate Assistants/Students
Lydia Dimattia, Graduate Student
room: 318A
e-mail: lmd357@eps.rutgers.edu
phone number: (609) 472-9917
Research Interests: Astrobiology, Microbial biosignatures, Co-evolution of the biosphere & geosphere, Abiogenesis, Extremophile evolution & adaptation mechanisms
Heshani Pupulewatte, Graduate Student
room: 318A
e-mail: hp518@rutgers.edu
phone: (732) 861-7459
Research Interests: Biophysical chemistry, Environmental analytical chemistry.
Renna Yi, Graduate Student
e-mail: ry136@rutgers.edu
Research Interests: Mathematical modeling of catalysis and autocatalysis, prebiotic chemistry.
Undergraduate Assistants/Students
Susanna Weiss, Undergraduate Student
room: 318
e-mail: sw1017@scarletmail.rutgers.edu
phone: (609) 608-8448
Research Interests: The environmental interactions and significance of microbes.