Education
B.S., University of North Carolina - Wilmington
Ph.D. Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
National Science Foundation International Postdoctoral Fellow - University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
Scripps Postdoctoral Fellow
Biography
I have a broad interest in organismal physiological responses that regulate chemical tolerance (i.e., anthropogenic and marine natural products), and windows of cellular vulnerability of marine organisms to environmental chemical stress. My work aims to understand the molecular and cellular adaptations organisms use to cope with chemical threats in an ecological context. My research program takes an integrative approach using molecular, cellular, biochemical and metabolomic techniques to address how marine organisms have adapted and respond to their chemical environment. Currently, students in the lab are exploring chemically-mediated interactions between phytoplankton and bacteria that may influence bloom dynamics. In addition, I take an ecologically-inspired approach to help guide the discovery of novel marine-based pharmaceuticals. My innovative search for molecules to reverse drug resistance in pathogenic bacteria has benefited enormously from understanding the natural history of chemical interactions in the marine ecosystem. Since joining the Biology Department at Haverford, I am excited to take a leading role in helping students to explore new ideas, evaluate the world around them, and realize their full potential in the sciences.
My expertise ranges from cellular/molecular biology, biochemistry, toxicology, physiology, ecology, and marine natural product isolation. I have given over >50 scientific presentations, lectures, webinars, and posters; and serve as a reviewer for 18 peer-reviewed scientific journals and governmental funding agencies, including the National Science Foundation, NOAA, and an invited Editor for Frontiers of Microbiology.
For more information on my research endeavors, funding, student researchers, and publications, please click here.
Please check out the Haverford Bio Hub website for the latest student and faculty news, research opportunities, and events.
Lab Meetings for FALL 2025 are at 9am-9:55am on Mondays (location TBD) - Students interested in joining the lab should make a point to regularly attend lab meetings to be abreast of the latest research happening in the lab and how to get involved.
Research in Biology at Haverford
Come hear what BIology Seniors in the Whalen Lab have learned about research.