Principal Investigator
Steven Roberts
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8302-1138Associate Director of the School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences at the University of Washington where his research focuses on characterizing physiological response of aquatic species to environmental change with a particular focus on the relationship of transcriptomics, genetics, and epigenetic modifications. Current research efforts include characterizing the adaptive potential of native bivalves in Puget Sound and the functional role of DNA methylation in marine invertebrates.
Graduate Students
Aidan Coyle
Lab notebook | CV | Github | afcoyle@uw.edu
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Growing up in coastal Alaska, I spent most of my youth being poked by sea urchins and stung by jellyfish. Undeterred, I dove into marine research at Bowdoin College, where I found a linkage between cold tolerance and mitochondrial genotype within the invasive European green crab. I then joined the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, where I worked on Bering Sea crab surveys, Tanner crab fecundity and movement studies, and fishery monitoring projects. After moving down to Seattle, I joined the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, where I researched forage fish spawning and development. At the Roberts lab, I joined my interests in disease and crabs by studying gene expression in southeast Alaskan Tanner crabs and in Hematodinium, the parasitic dinoflagellate that causes Bitter Crab Syndrome. In my free time, I love long-distance cycling and making candy. If you’d like to chat about anything at all (particularly if it happens to be crab-related), feel free to email me!
Olivia Cattau
Lab notebook | CV | ocattau@uw.edu | oliviacattau@gmail.com | ORCID iD
As a Chicago native and University of Chicago alumna, I spent close to zero time on the ocean until I turned 20 and was awarded a Metcalf Internship to study cephalopods at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, MA. After graduating, I moved out to Washington State to work with Puget Sound Restoration Fund and Pacific Hybreed doing shellfish, echinoderm and kelp aquaculture/research. In 2021, I joined the Roberts’ Lab at UW School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences to work on various conservation genetics projects on Geoduck (P. generosa) and Pacific Oysters (C. gigas). Currently, I am working on controling the gonadal development of Geoduck by knockdown of candidate genes involved in primordial germ cell (PGC) specification. This will be done using morpholinos or CRISPER. In addition, I am working with Matt George (mngeorge@uw.edu) on studying environment-physiology interactions within marine organisms, with a particular emphasis on the molecular mechanisms that make aquaculture species within Washington State resilient to environmental change. Feel free to email me with any questions you may have!
Zach Bengtsson
Lab notebook | zbengt@uw.edu
I grew up in the beautiful, landlocked city of Colorado Springs, CO, but I have always been fascinated by the ocean and marine life. In my undergraduate studies at Boston University, I developed a passion for marine invertebrates and studied coral epibionts living on mangrove prop roots in Belize. After graduating in 2015, I developed my skills in science and research through positions in medical molecular biology, seasonal environmental DNA work at The Nature Conservancy, and various environmental remote sensing roles in the NASA Earth Applied Sciences Program. I joined the Roberts Lab in Fall 2021, where I work on the E5 Coral Project. My research focuses on assessing the response of corals to changing environmental conditions in Moorea using epigenetic techniques. I am also interested in incorporating remotely-sensed datasets as model inputs to better understand the relationship between environmental stressors and organismal response. Please feel free to get in touch with me via email or through my LinkedIn!
Chris Mantegna
Lab notebook | cnmntgna@uw.edu
Deciding to chase my love of Orcas, coffee, and grunge to the Pacific Northwest has yielded this Baltimore, MD transplant an opportunity to become a double University of Washington alumna. I graduated with my B.S. in Marine Biology in 2021 and am continuing my academic pursuits as a SAFS and NSF Graduate Fellow. Moving into the marine science space has been a dream fulfilled. I am currently using -omics techniques to evaluate the relationship between environmental influences, ecotoxins, and organism physiology in the Pacific Northwest using bivalves as the target organisms. Moving through my graduate work I’d like to expand into warmer waters and study those relationships with Syngnathids as the target organisms. When not working in the lab I happily pepper my daughter with dad jokes, build community as the Mentorship Coordinator for BWEEMS, create content and programming as an active member of BIMS, and spend my free time moonlighting as a wannabe Chihuly in beginners glass blowing classes.
Shanelle Haughton
LinkedIn | sohaughton93@gmail.com
I am a New England native and first generation Jamaican-American, born and raised in Hartford, CT. I am currently a fourth year NOAA-LMRCSC funded PhD student in the Marine-Estuarine-Environmental Science program at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. I am also a NOAA EPP/MSI Graduate Fellow, selected as a part of the inaugural class of 2021. My dissertation research, titled: “Evaluating Physiological and Immune Responses of Tanner Crab (Chionoecetes bairdi) to Hematodinium sp. Infection” seeks to understand the effect of Hematodinium (parasitic dinoflagellate) on gene expression, immune response, immune function as well as metabolic function in Tanner crab. I am passionate about improving my knowledge as a bioinformatics scientist and applying this unique skill set to my work in interdisciplinary scientific research aimed to answer complex scientific questions and problems. As a STEM professional and woman of color, I believe heavily in representation, education/outreach, and bridging the communication gap between scientists and the general public. Activities that interest me in my down time include: hiking, yoga, board games, spending time outdoors, museums, road-trips, traveling, and any opportunity to learn something new.
I am a visitor of the Roberts lab twice over, once in the summer of 2019 and again during 2022. I have felt nothing but welcomed and included during my visits to the Roberts lab. This is a diverse and dynamic lab group that encourages professional and personal development of its members and visitors.
Celeste Valdivia
Lab notebook | cvaldi@uw.edu
Although growing up in San Diego, CA meant that I spent many days of my youth out in the ocean, my scientific interest in the aquatic environment and it’s species wasn’t fully realized until I began a position in 2018 as an undergraduate research assistant in an aquatic ecotoxicology lab the University of California, Davis. During that time, I completed my undergraduate capstone project analyzing the effects of bifenthrin exposure on the behavior of the federally endangered Delta Smelt. After graduating with a bachelor of science in Animal Biology in 2020, I continued my research work in that same lab for an additional two years and further explored the developmental, behavioral, and reproductive impacts several commonly employed urban and agricultural pyrethroids had on native Californian estuarine fish species. In 2022, I dually joined the Gardell Lab at the University of Washington, Tacoma and the Roberts Lab housed in the School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences (SAFS) at the University of Washington, Seattle. As a graduate student at SAFS, I am now focused on identifying the constraints on in vitro cellular immortality in the marine model invertebrate, Botryllus schlosseri. This exploratory process will primarily involve the implementation of procedures for systematic primary cell culture optimization, stress-induced mutagenesis, and bioinformatic network analysis. In my free time I enjoy cooking, tending to my mini indoor garden, and playing guitar. Feel free to get in touch with me through email if you have any questions!
Postdoctoral Research Associates
Matt George
Lab notebook | website | CV | mngeorge@uw.edu | ORCID iD
As a National Oceanic Partnership Program (NOPP) Fellow I work jointly with the Roberts labs at the School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences at the University of Washington and Mackenzie Gavery at the NOAA Northwest Fisheries Science Center located in Seattle, Washington. My research leverages state-of-the-art genomics tools to study environment-physiology interactions within marine organisms, with a particular emphasis on the molecular mechanisms that make aquaculture species within Washington State resilient to environmental change. Through my work I routinely conduct field and laboratory experiments to generate large-scale ‘omics’ datasets (e.g. epigenomics, proteomics, and metabolomics) that can be used to characterize the genetic diversity present within natural populations. This work serves to inform conservation efforts and the development of criteria for broodstock selection within the aquaculture industry to esnure the continued sustainable production of seafood within the United States. To process these diverse datasets, I develop and implement bioinformatics pipelines for data normalization, statistical analyses, and biological pathway analyses. I use an open access online lab notebook and GitHub to publicly share my analyses and support reproducibility. To achieve my research and education outreach aims I collaborate with commercial, tribal, and governmental fisheries organizations, and actively participate in outreach media development. I also regularly take advantage of the amazing hiking and boating activities that Pacific Northwest has to offer with my wife and two-year-old son.
Ariana S. Huffmyer, PhD
Lab notebook | CV | Twitter: @Dr_Cnidariana | ORCID iD | ashuffmyer@uri.edu | National Science Foundation Ocean Sciences Postdoctoral Fellow | UW eScience Data Science Postdoctoral Fellow |
I am a postdoctoral researcher working with Dr. Hollie Putnam at the University of Rhode Island and Dr. Steven Roberts at the University of Washington studying the effects of climate change on marine invertebrate early life history, with a particular interest in the formation of coral-algal symbiosis during coral development.
My current research interests are in understanding how climate change affects coral performance and survival using multi-omic approaches. Increased frequency and severtity of marine heat waves is causing coral bleaching – the breakdown of the nutritional symbiosis between tropical corals and their algal endosymbionts. My research inveistigates the formation of symbiosis between corals and their algal symbionts during early development in coral species in Hawaii, USA and Moorea, French Polynesia by utilizing energetic, metabolomic, and transcriptomic approaches.
I am working with the E5 Coral team to examine coral physiological, metabolic, and epigenetic responses across nutrient gradients in Moorea. I use online notebooks and GitHub to publicly share my data and analyses.
I completed my Ph.D. in marine biology at the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology in the Coral Resilience Lab – The Legacy of Ruth Gates and Lemus Labs where I studied how early life stages of corals respond to climate change driven thermal stress. My work investigated the influence of nutrition and thermal conditioning, and intraspecific interactions on thermal tolerance of coral recruits and how we can leverage this knowledge to enhance coral propagation. My collaborators and I used approaches ranging from field observations to confocal microscopy and energetics and phsyiology. Seeing a need for scientists to also be translators and educators, I conducted research in science education to understand how participation in research influences science identity development.
Outside the lab, I enjoy hiking, mountain biking, fly fishing, and exploring with my two dogs the Pacific Northwest.
Larken Root
Lab notebook | CV | larker@uw.edu
I am currently working as a Cooperative Institute for Climate, Ocean, & Ecosystem Studies (CICOES) Fellow in the Roberts Lab in collaboration with Mackenzie Gavery at the NOAA Northwest Fisheries Science Center and Ryan Crim at the Puget Sound Restoration Fund to assess the potential impacts of ocean acidification (OA) on native Pacific Littleneck Clams and naturalized Manila Clams. Specifically, we will determine the physiological impact of OA conditions on adult clams and determine how this impacts reproduction by assessing reproductive success as well as gene expression in gametes. Larvae collected from clams will also be used to determine transgenerational effects on the capacity of larvae to tolerate the same OA conditions by assessing growth performance and gene expression. Results from these experiments are intentionally aimed at expanding the portfolio of options for Puget Sound shellfish growers, and I will be involved in surveying growers to determine the applicability of the methods we develop on clam production. I am also active in a separate project to identify and then silence genes expressed in the development of germ line cells in shellfish embryos, with the ultimate goal of establishing a method for producing sterile shellfish for use in aquaculture.
I have a background in comparative physiology having completed a dissertation comparing the molecular response of two species of tilapia to increased environmental salinity levels. This research including transcriptomic and proteomic analysis of the main tissues responsible for ion balance (gill and kidney). This work was also aimed at aiding aquaculture producers by allowing them to use partial seawater in tilapia ponds and reduce the use of freshwater, especially in areas which have scarce freshwater resources.
When not doing research, I am an avid hiker, and I enjoy a number of hobbies including woodworking, playing musical instruments, baking, and playing with my dogs Nimbus and Pepita.
Research Scientists
Sam White
I am a research scientist in the lab since the lab’s inception in 2007 and am jack-of-all-trades lab member. I dabble in all aspects of helping the lab run efficiently (bionformatics, computer/server maintenance, training new personnel, purchasing/reconciliation, safety documentation/training, etc), but as a molecular biologist by training (B.S. Univ. of Illinois @ Urbana-Champaign – Plant Biology; M.S. Arizona State Univerity – Plant Biology), I excel at bench work.
Outside of lab-related work, I dig playing video games and listening to Phish (and, to placate the haters, I also like other good bands/musicians like Queens of the Stone Age, Uriah Heep, and Kacey Musgraves). I guess I also enjoy spending time with my spouse, kid, and dog, too.
Brent Vadopalas
Giles Goetz
Delaney Lawson
Undergraduate Students
Alumni
Postdoctoral Research Associates
Hollie Putnam
Research Scientists
Kaitlyn Mitchell
Crystal Simchick
Graduate Students
Rhonda Elliot
Jake Heare
Andy Jasonowicz
Claire Olson
Mackenzie Gavery
Doug Immerman
Caroline Storer
Dave Metzger
Undergraduates
Delaney Lawson (2022) proposal paper presentation
Hana Ra (2020)
Ronit (pre-college) (2019)
Alanna Greene (2019)
Grace Crandall (2016) proposal paper slides presentation notebook
Jonathan Allen UW (2016) proposal paper slides presentation notebook
Mrunmayee Manohar Shete (2015) notebook
Katie Jackson UW SAFS (2015)
Joelle Blaise UW SAFS (2014)
Hannah Wear; UW SAFS (2013-2014) proposal paper poster notebook
Charles Duber; UW SAFS (2013-2014) proposal paper slides notebook
Jessica Blanchette; UW SAFS (2013-2014) proposal paper slides notebook
Bradley Chi; UW SAFS proposal paper slides
Paul Ehlen; UW FISH499 blog slides
Harry Podschwit; UW notebook
Derek Brady; UW SAFS proposal paper slides
Manel Khan; UW notebook
David Berman; UW SAFS proposal paper
Herschel Cox; UW SAFS proposal paper
Lexie Miller; UW FISH499 paper
Jason Tayag; UW SAFS proposal paper slides
Sonia Albin; UW SAFS proposal paper slides
Zac Halls; UW notebook
Amanda Davis FISH499; UW paper
Christina Miller FISH498; UW notebook
Rony Thi; UW notebook
Anna Fabrizio; UW SAFS proposal | paper | presentation
Kevin Jeong; UW FISH499 notebook
Rachel Thompson; UW SAFS proposal | paper | slides
Leslie Jensen; UW SAFS proposal | paper | slides | video
Christin McLemore; UW SAFS proposal | paper | slides | video
Tatyana Marushchak; UW Chemistry project
Stephannie Spurr; UW SAFS paper | 499
Katie Fulkerson; UW SAFS proposal | paper | presentation
Cullen Taplin; UW SAFS proposal | paper | presentation
Juliann Clark; UW project
Tushara Saint Vitus; UW SAFS project
Lindsay Braun; Santa Clara University project
Mairead Bermingham; N Univ of Ireland, Cork project
Zachary Schiller; Tufts University project
Visiting Scientists
Javier A. Rodriguez-Casariego; Florida International University
August 2019
Roberto Carlos Arredondo Espinoza; Mexico
Spring 2019
Marcos Espinel; Universidad Científica del Sur, Peru
April 2017
Dr. Cristian Gallardo; University of Concepcion
Autumn 2016
Dr. Hollie Putnam; Research Associate
Autumn 2016
Jose Angel Hidalgo de la Toba; CIBNOR PhD student
April 2016
New method for determining size at age in individuals to inform geoduck population models.
Timothy Green; University of Queensland
Adelaide Rhodes; Visiting Scholar