Marine Genomic Biodiversity Lab
Professor Nikolaos Schizas, PhD
Department of Marine Sciences
University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez
Curriculum Vitae
Lab People
Glorimar Franqui, PhD candidate
Project: Diversity of sharks in Puerto Rico
Aliyah Chabrier Alpi and Stephanie Rosario-Marcano, M.S. students
Amanda Prieto Garcia, M.S. student. Genomic diversity of wahoo
in Puerto Rico waters.
Joyce Gomez-Gamot, M.S. student
Bianca Rojas, M.S. student
Daniel Toledo Rodriguez, M.S. student
Brent Petersen, Ph.D. candidate
Coral Roman-Turkovich, M.S. student
Alexander Doyle, M.S. student
Angelica M Santana Ortiz (Co-advised with Dr. Alex Veglia)
Jose Rios Roman, M.S. student
Jose J Vazquez Rodriguez, M.S. student
Denis Collazo, M.S. student
Kevin L. Torres, M.S. student
Alumni of the Lab
Jose J Orozco-Juarbe, M.S. student, defended his M.S. in Marine Sciences, May 2025
Alejandro J Gonzalez Montes, defended his M.S. in Marine Sciences, December 2024
Jaaziel Garcia-Hernandez, defended his Ph.D. in Marine Sciences, July 2024
Project: Sponge diversity and fauna associations with Xestospongia muta
Omar M Zayas Cruz, defended his M.S. in Marine Sciences, May 2024.
Maria Del Pilar Gonzalez Garcia, defended her M.S. in Marine Sciences, September 2023.
Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation (LSAMP) Program.
Maria is pursuing a PhD in Bioinformatics in Spain.
Nicolle Lebrón López, awarded an M.S. in Marine Sciences, July 2023. Culturable actinobacteria associated with two Caribbean
Aplysina sponges.
Jean P Domenech Ramos, awarded an M.S. in Marine Sciences, May 2023. Population connectivity of Cletocamptus copepods in Puerto Rico.
Giovanna Gonzalez, awarded an M.S. in Biology. May 2023. eDNA methods to detect fish spawning aggregations. (served as Co-Advisor).
Dr. Camille Berrocal, awarded the Ph.D. in Marine Sciences, December 2022. The influence of thermic stress on the marine yeast Debaryomyces hansenii.
Luis Rodriguez, Awarded an M.S. in Marine Sciences, December 2022. Population structure of Gorgonia ventalina.
Dr. Martha Ricaurte, awarded the Ph.D. in Marine Sciences. July 2022. Proteomics of corals under natural conditions.
Natalie M Baez Rodriguez, awarded an M.S. in Marine Sciences May 2022. Seafood Fraud in Puerto Rico
Glorimar Franqui. Awarded an M.S. in Marine Sciences, Dec 2020. Diversity of sharks in Puerto Rico
Laura Abreu Nicolas, M.S. student. Diversity of zooplankton. Now at Vet School, Cornell University.
Alex J. Veglia, Awarded an MS in Marine Sciences, May 2019. Alex is an Assistant Professor of Virology at the
University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez.
Liajay Rivera, Awarded an MS in Marine Sciences, May 2019. Comparison of
the erect and encrusting form of the corky sea finger Briareum asbestinum
using transcriptomes.
Dr. Grisel Rodriguez, Awarded a Ph.D. in Marine Sciences, May 2019. Grisel is a Professional Biologist at the Department of Environmental and Natural Resources of Puerto Rico
Juan Laverde, Awarded an MS in Marine Sciences, December 2018
Ramon Rivera Vicens, Awarded an MS in Marine Sciences,
Summer 2018 (Co-Advisor)
Ingrid Ortiz Gonzalez, Awarded an MS in Marine Sciences, Summer 2018
Mariel Cruz, Awarded an M.S. in Marine Sciences, Summer 2017.
Project: Population structure of bearded fireworms. Mariel worked until 2021 as
the lab manager at the Department of Marine Biology, University of Guam.
Dr. Nick Hammerman, Awarded an M.S. in Marine Sciences,
December 2016. Nick finished his PhD studies at the Pandolfi Lab
University of Queensland
Dr. Chelsea Harms-Tuhoy, Awarded a PhD in Marine Sciences, June 2016 (served as Co-advisor). Chelsea is working as a Marine Scientist leading the environmental consultant company Isla Mar Research Expeditions.
Dr. Matt Lucas, Awarded a PhD in Marine Sciences, June 2016 (served as Co-advisor). Matt is an Assistant Professor at the Interamerican University at Arecibo, Puerto Rico.
Dr. Diana Beltran, Awarded a PhD in Marine Sciences, December 2015 (served as Co-advisor). Diana is a Research Associate at the University of Rhode Island.
Alexandra Galindo, Awarded an M.S. in Biology, December 2015 (served as Co-Advisor).
Dr. Wess Martin, Awarded a PhD in Marine Sciences, May 2014 (served as Co-Advisor).
Dr. Monica Rojas, Awarded an M.S. in Marine Sciences, May 2010. Monica received her PhD at Georgia Tech.
Alexandre Jassoud, Awarded an M.S. in Marine Sciences August 2010.
Dr. Hernan Torres-Pratts, Awarded a PhD in Marine Sciences in December 2009. Now a senior scientist at a biotech company in Puerto Rico
Dr. Dannise Ruiz, Awarded M.S. in Spring 2009. Dannise is an Assistant Professor in Environmental Genomics at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore
Joselyd Garcia, Awarded M.S. in Spring 2008. Currently: NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service, Office of Protected Resources, Permits, Conservation and Education Division, F/PR1
Dr. Tania Lado-Insua, visiting student, 2007. Tania received her PhD from Univ of Rhode Island. Program Manager at Ocean Networks Canada
Dr. Carlos Prada, Research Associate 2005-2008. Carlos received his PhD from LSU. Now (2018), an Assistant Professor at the University of Rhode Island.
Iara del Mar Perez, Research Associate, 2004-05.
