Meet the Team
FORMER LAB MEMBERS
Former lab members: contact us to be featured
Former lab members: contact us to be featured
Dr. Martín Tresguerres is a marine physiologist specializing in the cellular biology of marine animals and their responses to environmental change. His research integrates molecular techniques, scuba-diving fieldwork, and environmental sensing to explore marine neurobiology in natural habitats. His career spans marine physiology and biomedical research, with pioneering contributions to understanding pH chemosensing, metabolic communication between neurons and astrocytes, and neurobehavioral responses to CO2-induced aquatic acidification. Tresguerres is dedicated to mentoring, outreach, and expanding scientific capacity in Latin America. He joined SIO-UCSD in 2010 and served as Director of the Marine Biology Research Division from 2018-2022. Among other honors and awards, Tresguerres was recently selected as a fellow of the California Academy of Sciences.
Dr. Pauline Wales is a cell biologist with extensive expertise in advanced microscopy, imaging-based approaches, and molecular, cellular, and biochemical techniques to study how cells and tissues dynamically organize and maintain homeostasis. She completed her PhD jointly at the University of Münster and UC San Francisco, where she used live-cell, confocal, TIRF, and super-resolution imaging alongside biochemical assays to identify and characterize a novel calcium signaling pathway regulating actin-mediated gene expression. Following her doctoral work, she conducted postdoctoral research at UT Southwestern Medical Center and the Salk Institute. She currently manages the Allen Discovery Center for Neurobiology in Changing Environments (ADC-NiCE) and the Tresguerres Lab.
Dr. Claudia Tatiana Galindo-Martínez earned her B.S. in Marine Biology from Universidad del Mar in Puerto Angel, Mexico, in 2009, and completed her M.S. in Marine Biology and Limnology at Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México in Puerto Morelos, Mexico, in 2014. Later, she earned her Ph.D. in Coral Biology from Pennsylvania State University in 2022. In 2023, the State Congress of Oaxaca awarded her the “Juana Catalina Romero Egaña” medal in the Women in Science and Technology category.
Throughout her career, she has focused on coral reef ecophysiology, especially the coral-algae symbiosis and how corals respond to environmental changes. Her research includes coral bleaching, photosynthesis, stress effects, and resilience mechanisms in corals. Early on, she studied the optical properties of coral skeletons and their influence on light absorption. Later, she examined how stress impacts the photosynthesis of symbiotic dinoflagellates and coral energy processes. During her Ph.D., she investigated coral bleaching mechanisms and developed a model to predict the internal light environments within corals. She is also exploring the role of fluorescent proteins in enhancing photosynthesis in light-limited corals. Her earlier postdoctoral work involved analyzing optical properties, tissue structure, and symbiont distribution in both shallow and mesophotic corals.
Dr. Galindo-Martínez is currently a Kavli Discovery Fellow at ADC-NiCE. She has developed an interest in how corals sense their environment, including identifying nervous systems in corals. She aims to expand her skills in mapping the nervous systems of coral larvae to better understand their responses to environmental stimuli.
Dr. Rose Tatarsky is a neuroethologist investigating the neural and genetic mechanisms that shape behavior in fishes within evolutionary and environmental contexts. She earned her PhD from Cornell University in 2022, where she established Danionella dracula as a new model system to study the neural basis of adult social behaviors, including acoustic communication. She then held a postdoctoral position at the Paris-Saclay Institute of Neuroscience, examining the evolution of olfactory-driven behaviors in blind cavefish (Astyanax mexicanus) using quantitative genetic approaches. Rose is currently a Scripps Institution of Oceanography Postdoctoral Fellow in the lab of Dr. Martin Tresguerres, studying how environmental change influences neurogenetics and behavior in sticklebacks, as part of the Allen Discovery Center for Neurobiology in Changing Environments (ADC-NiCE).
Daniel Yee, PhD, is a marine and cell biologist whose research focuses on how cellular mechanisms in marine microalgae shape ecological function and biogeochemical processes in the ocean. His work combines molecular biology, biochemistry, physiology, and advanced cell imaging to investigate how cellular systems evolve, interact, and operate within complex environmental contexts.
Daniel earned his PhD at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, where he studied the molecular evolution and cell biology of diatoms, developing interdisciplinary approaches to understanding cellular function in marine systems. He later completed postdoctoral research at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), where he investigated photosymbiosis in marine protists (Acantharia) and phytoplankton, advancing mechanistic understanding of symbiotic interactions and their ecological consequences.
Alongside his academic research, Daniel worked at Synthetic Genomics and Viridos, contributing to microalgal biotechnology programs through the development and integration of research tools. This experience expanded his focus toward connecting fundamental biological discovery with applied research and technological development.
His work reflects a broader interest in linking mechanistic cell biology with ecosystem science and emerging biological technologies through interdisciplinary research and collaborative problem solving.
Daniel Melo is an Aquarium Technician in the Tresguerres Lab, where he manages the care and health of a diverse collection of coral and marine fish species used in research. He plays a key role in establishing and maintaining the lab’s coral spawning systems and works extensively with DELTA Electronics’ Intelligent Breeding System – a novel LED light system, equipped with custom spectrum designed to accelerate coral growth by simulating seasonal light cycles and lunar phases, while monitoring overall aquarium conditions.
Daniel earned a B.S. in Marine Science from California State University, Monterey Bay. He is particularly interested in aquarium life-support systems and enjoys the technical and biological challenges of serving as the lab’s resident “coral guy.”
Nathan Lopez manages the Invasive Species Detection Facility within the Tresguerres Lab. He specializes in the detection and monitoring of invasive freshwater mussels through microscopy and molecular identification. Nathan collaborates closely with California’s state and local water agencies to protect freshwater reservoirs and infrastructure. He also serves as a member of the Golden Mussel Task Force’s Species Identification sub-team.
Maitri Rangarajan Paul is a PhD student in the Tresguerres lab and is an NSF GRFP fellowship recipient. She is primarily involved in characterizing the nervous system of coral larvae using Hybridization Chain Reaction Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization (HCR-FISH) and single nucleus RNA sequencing (snRNA-seq). She is excited about studying the neural mechanisms by which corals transduce sensory cues and how these mechanisms are impacted by changing environments. She received her B.S. from Stanford University in Biology with a Marine Biology concentration.
Ria is a PhD student the the Tresguerres lab and is primarily researching anti-melanoma compound production by a bacteria in an antarctic ascidian. She is interested in the interactions between a host organism and its microbial community, particularly in its potential for informing natural products research and innate immunity mechanisms. She recieved a B.S. with high distinction from University of California, San Diego in Marine Biology with a minor in Chemistry.
Isabel Flores is a PhD student and an NSF GRFP fellowship recipient in the Tresguerres lab. Within ADC-NiCE, she is using immunohistochemical (IHC) staining to locate neurotransmitters in both heat-stressed and unstressed adult coral tissue. By describing the distribution of these molecules in coral tissue throughout the bleaching process, she hopes to further our understanding of how heat stress interacts with the nerve net.
Isabel received a BS/BA from UC San Diego, double-majoring in marine biology and linguistics. She is passionate about science communication and sharing research with the public in an accessible way. She received an MS from UC San Diego, focusing on coral reef restoration techniques that use novel biocoatings to improve outcomes for settled coral larvae.
Matt White is an NIH-T32 trainee in the Pathways in Biological Sciences (PiBS). He is interested in organism-environment interactions and how the nervous system may confer adaptation. He is currently studying thermal adaptation in the brain and behavior of wild three-spine stickleback populations.
Matt received a BA in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology at Lewis & Clark College where he studied organelle biogenesis in C. elegans. He then studied human brain development at UCSF before beginning his PhD at UCSD.
Juanantonio Ruiz began his scientific career in medical research, where he developed a strong foundation in laboratory techniques and experimental design. Driven by a long-standing interest in marine science, he transitioned to graduate studies in marine biology at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography.
In the Tresguerres Lab, Juanantonio uses killifish as a model system to investigate how organisms respond to changing environmental conditions. His research focuses on the physiological mechanisms underlying salinity tolerance, with the goal of understanding how euryhaline species adapt and thrive across diverse habitats.
Outside the lab, Juanantonio enjoys playing soccer and spending time at the beach.
Scott Becker is an undergraduate student in the Tresguerres lab at UCSD, where he will receive his B.S. in Marine Biology in June 2026, and will continue at Scripps Institute of Oceanography as a contiguous B.S./M.S. student in Fall 2026. He is currently mentored by Maitri Rangarajan Paul, a PhD student also in the Tresguerres lab, and their research focuses on characterizing the nervous system of coral adults using Hybridization Chain Reaction Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization (HCR-FISH). His interests center on the cellular and molecular mechanisms by which corals sense environmental stimuli and the physiological responses they mediate.
Kate Bentley is an undergraduate student at UCSD majoring in General Biology with a minor in Marine Science. She is currently assisting with the monitoring of invasive freshwater mussels in California through use of microscopy and molecular methods, as well as studying their physiology. After graduation, Kate intends to pursue a Master’s degree in Marine Biology.
Devin Xu is an undergraduate student in the Tresguerres lab majoring in human biology at UC San Diego. He contributes to the development of models that track and analyze neural and behavioral mechanisms underlying fish schooling behavior in stickleback larvae across changing environments.
I worked in the Tresguerres Lab from 2011–2019, first as a PhD student from 2011–2017 and later as an NSF Postdoctoral Fellow from 2018–2019. I was one of Martin’s first two PhD students and the first PhD student to graduate from the lab. My research focused on acid-base sensing and regulation in marine animals. I am currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at Cal State LA, a position I have held since 2022.
PhD Dissertation: https://escholarship.org/uc/item/65c9n9w9
Website: https://jinaeroa.wixsite.com/jinaeroa
I worked in the Tresguerres Lab from 2011–2017 as a PhD student and was one of Martin’s first two PhD students. My research focused on acid-base sensing and calcium transport in corals. After defending my dissertation, I taught cell biology and genetics courses at community colleges in San Diego, California, and Portland, Oregon. I also worked in technical support for a bioreagents company before taking time away from my career to raise my children.
PhD Dissertation: https://escholarship.org/uc/item/7t09q5k1
I worked in the Tresguerres Lab from 2011–2013 as a BS-MS student and was Martin’s first Master’s student. My research focused on screening libraries of natural products from the Gerwick Lab to identify novel stimulators and inhibitors of soluble adenylyl cyclase (sAC), a pH-sensing enzyme involved in cellular signaling. I am currently a Scientist at Scithera, Inc., an oncology pharmaceutical startup developing novel antibody-drug conjugates against cancer targets with high unmet clinical need, including colorectal cancer.
MS Thesis: https://escholarship.org/uc/item/5s41z26b
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-ho-a1051489
I worked in the Tresguerres Lab from 2011–2014 as an undergraduate intern. My research focused on acid-base sensing and regulation in leopard sharks, using Western blotting and fluorescence microscopy to investigate the underlying physiological mechanisms. I am currently an Aquatic Ecologist at the Southern California Coastal Water Research Project (SCCWRP).
Work Profile: https://www.sccwrp.org/about/staff/lara-jansen/
Email: laraj@sccwrp.org
I worked in the Tresguerres Lab from 2012–2015 as a Postdoctoral Researcher and was Martin’s first postdoc. My research focused on the cellular and molecular mechanisms of acid-base sensing and regulation in reef-building corals. I am currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Biology at the University of Pennsylvania, where I lead the Barott Lab.
Lab website: www.barottlab.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katiebarott/
Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=A7crBlkAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao
I worked in the Tresguerres Lab between 2012–2014, first as an undergraduate researcher and later as a graduate student completing my MS thesis. My research focused on identifying the cellular localization of two key ion transport proteins in corals to better understand their potential roles in photosynthesis and calcification, and how these processes may differ among diverse coral species. This work also had implications for understanding how corals may respond to environmental changes associated with climate change. I am currently taking an intentional career break to raise my young children. During this time, I have developed a strong interest in women’s health and occasionally work part-time as a postpartum doula.
MS Thesis: https://escholarship.org/uc/item/136763bk
Yuzo was a UCSD undergraduate student in the Tresguerres lab between 2012-2015 helping graduate student, Corey Jew, study air-breathing fish physiology. He also worked on an independent undergraduate project studying acid-base regulation in flatfish. He is currently an Assistant Professor in the Biology Department at University of Scranton. He loves fish!
I worked in the Tresguerres Lab from 2014–2022, initially as Martin’s PhD student from 2014–2020, earning an MS in Biological Oceanography along the way. I later remained affiliated with the lab as an NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellow from 2020–2022, during the COVID-19 pandemic. My research focused on comparative physiology in aquatic organisms, particularly the mechanisms of ionic and acid-base regulation in teleost skin, gills, and the inner ear. I subsequently completed a postdoctoral fellowship at UC Davis, followed by a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Research Fellowship at the University of Exeter. I recently joined the University of Rhode Island as an Assistant Professor. I am also a science communicator and the creator of Squidtoons.
PhD Dissertation: https://escholarship.org/uc/item/2zk222m9
Faculty Profile: https://web.uri.edu/favs/meet/garfield-kwan/
Squidtoons: www.squidtoons.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/garfieldkwan/
Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=evxrdZMAAAAJ&hl=en
I worked in the Tresguerres Lab from 2015–2018 as a Postdoctoral Researcher. In 2018, I divided my time between the Tresguerres Lab and Susan Taylor’s Lab as a recipient of UC San Diego’s Chancellor’s Research Excellence Scholarship (CRES) for Postdoctoral Scholars. My research focused on the molecular and biochemical characterization of bicarbonate-sensing soluble adenylyl cyclase (sAC) in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), as well as the characterization of a Golgi-specific signaling microdomain and its implications for human health and marine life. I am currently a Laboratory Research Associate in Dr. Mark Onaitis’s laboratory in the Department of Surgery at UC San Diego, where I study the biology and therapeutic vulnerabilities of KRAS-mutant lung adenocarcinoma.
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/cristina-salmerón-salvador-b47815291
I worked in the Tresguerres Lab from 2016-2025 starting as an undergraduate volunteer, then a MS student, a Research Associate, a PhD student, and finally a Postdoctoral Researcher. My first volunteer projects focused on the molecular mechanisms of coral calcification. In my time as a MS student and Research Associate, I transitioned to elucidating mechanisms of nutrient exchange in coral-algal symbiosis. These projects expanded during my PhD and Postdoctoral work to include many symbiotic systems (corals, anemones, sea slugs, jellyfish) with a particular focus on carbon and nitrogen exchange pathways. I additionally collaborated on numerous side projects investigating acid-base regulation in fish red blood cells and aquaculture shrimp and skeletal calcification in sea urchins. I am currently working as a Field Application Scientist for MesoScale Discovery (MSD) where I specialize in developing and troubleshooting multiplex immunoassays for high sensitivity protein measurements in biofluids.
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/angus-thies
MS Thesis: https://escholarship.org/content/qt4sn158tp/qt4sn158tp_noSplash_1f44a4f85cf147da5563c609fee12c6a.pdf
PhD Dissertation: https://escholarship.org/uc/item/3nm408gz
I worked in the Tresguerres Lab from 2016–2019, first as an undergraduate researcher from 2016–2018 and later as an MS student from 2018–2019. My research focused on the cellular physiology of osmoregulation in larval White Seabass. During my MS, I also became an AAUS-certified Scientific Diver and SIO Small Boat Operator, which helped spark my interest in marine technical work. I am currently a Marine Technician with the Coastal Processes Group at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, where I support field operations, LiDAR data collection and processing, oceanographic instrumentation, scientific diving, small boat and drone operations, and the design and fabrication of specialized research equipment.
MS Thesis: https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9f2368gf
Website: https://siocpg.ucsd.edu/team/shane-finnerty/
Till Harter joined the Tresguerres lab in 2019 as a postdoc, after finishing his PhD with Colin Brauner at UBC in Vancouver. At Scripps, Till studied the roles of soluble adenylyl cyclase (sAC) in the red blood cells of fishes. Using a suite of molecular, live-cell imaging and super-resolution microscopy techniques he discovered that sAC is a critical acid-base sensor in rainbow trout red blood cells that enables cellular homeostasis and systemic oxygen transport in the blood (doi.org/10.1111/apha.14205). In 2023, Till started a Banting Postdoc in Graham Scott’s lab at McMaster University in Canada and has since started his own lab as an Emmy Noether Research Group Leader in Fisch Physiology at the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research in Northern Germany.
Website: https://www.theharterlab.com
I began in the lab as an undergraduate volunteer in 2019, working on acid–base regulation across the coral symbiosome before continuing into the MS/BS program. My graduate research focused on energy metabolism in the Caribbean corals Porites astreoides and Orbicella franksi, using enzymatic activity as a proxy to assess aerobic and fermentative capacity across depth and reef environments in Panama. Results revealed depth- and location-dependent metabolic differences, highlighting species-specific responses and the importance of understanding coral energetics when predicting resilience to environmental change.
After completing my thesis in 2022, I moved abroad to work as an aquaculture technician in Australia, where I developed ex situ coral spawning and larval rearing protocols to reduce reliance on wild coral collection from the Great Barrier Reef. I am now working in the Maldives as a Marine Biology Coordinator, developing in situ larval rearing and broader coral seeding strategies to support reef restoration.
I’ve attached the pdf of my thesis, as well as some various images, of which you can choose which ones you’d like to include. Additionally, my graduate thesis can be found online at the link below:
https://escholarship.org/uc/item/6034k35b#main
I worked in the Tresguerres Lab from 2019–2021 as an undergraduate researcher, working closely with Garfield Kwan during his PhD. My research focused on gill and inner ear ionocytes in Splitnose Rockfish, ion regulation in teleost gills, and ion and air regulation in Arapaima. I am currently a Research Technician IV in the Genomics and Bioanalytics Group at Los Alamos National Laboratory, where I study bacterial-fungal interactions in soil microbiomes and rhizosphere dynamics, as well as the roles of fungi in critical mineral and material systems.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kaelan-prime-797871301/
Daniel Jio I was an M.S. student in the Tresguerres Lab from 2020-2022, where my project was an examination of the seawater aquarium systems around the SIO campus including Birch Aquarium.
Currently I am an aquarist at Seaworld San Diego, working with jellyfish in the Jewels of the Sea exhibit (alongside Charles Trautner also previously from the lab).
I worked in the Tresguerres Lab from December 2021 to September 2024, first as an undergraduate researcher and later as an MS student. My undergraduate research investigated the effects of pH and light intensity on the expression of a coral-algae symbiosis-dependent P-type H+-ATPase (PMA). For my MS thesis, I studied the subcellular localization of Vacuolar-type H+-ATPase (VHA) in Symbiodiniaceae algae and its potential role in supporting photosynthesis. I am currently a Research Technician at Zymo Research Corporation.
MS Thesis: https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9367r88b
Email: qianqtao01@gmail.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/qianqian-tao-790586203/