We are thrilled to announce that Dr. Sarah Smith has joined the faculty at SJSU/MLML as our new biological oceanographer! 

Dr. Smith received her MS in Marine Science from SJSU/MLML in 2009 and her PhD in Marine Biology from Scripps Institution of Oceanography in 2014. Before joining the faculty at MLML, Dr. Smith served as a post-doc, staff scientist, and assistant professor at the J. Craig Venter Institute. Her current research uses a combination of comparative and functional genomics approaches to explore the evolution and molecular mechanisms of physiological regulation in diatoms. Insights from these studies will be used to inform our understanding of the evolution of diatoms and to guide efforts to bioengineer algae as a feedstock for aquaculture and for the cultivation of renewable bioproducts, such as sustainable biofuels.

Dr. Smith will be taking over the MLML Biological Oceanography Lab from her former graduate advisor Dr. Nick Welschmeyer who retired in 2020. Welcome, Sarah!