This spring, we received an enthusiastic note from Department of Biology Assistant Professor Joaquin Nunez. Dr. Nunez was excited to share news about one of the grad students in the department having won a significant award:

We knew we wanted to get to know more about the rising star’s work and interests, and struck up an email conversation just as Emily was preparing to fly off to Australia for her summer’s research, and was taking her comprehensive exams.

Getting to Research at UVM

The busy researcher made time to share a bit of her story, and we are as delighted to share it with you as we are excited to learn what her summer work reveals.

How did you end up at UVM?

As an undergraduate, I attended the College of Charleston, where I did research on thermal tolerance in marine organisms with my advisor, Dr. Jody Beers. I knew nothing about research - I thought of it as more of a marketing opportunity for universities, or a way for upper-level students to engage with professors.

Shortly after starting my freshman year of college, I met my advisor at a research mixer where she described her work looking at a species of sea trout infected by a parasitic jellyfish. Infected fish could actually swim faster compared to non-infected fish. Dr. Beers and her lab were evaluating how this relationship changed in the context of climate change and increasing temperatures.

I thought this was fascinating.

I had always been interested in the environment, but I had never heard of a study looking across specific organisms and analyzing specific processes to understand climate change. I quickly became enamored with the research and continued in her lab until I graduated from college.

I knew that I wanted to continue doing research, specifically focusing on thermal tolerance in marine organisms. My former advisor introduced me to my current advisor, Dr. Brent Lockwood. He studies ecological physiology and genetics in a variety of ectothermic organisms. We connected and I applied to UVM to study as a graduate student. I have really enjoyed working under his guidance. He is very thoughtful and pushes me to think about broader research questions than I am used to studying. 

Why biology?

I study biology because I am interested in organisms across a variety of levels. I like studying how multiple species interact, how the environment shapes different processes, specifically molecular processes, and how humans intersect with systems. I appreciate how biology combines theory with lab-based approaches and ecosystem level questions. 

What is your lab like?

My lab is small, but very supportive and kind. I work alongside two other graduate students who focus on evolutionary ecological physiology and genetics. Thomas O'Leary is a PhD student in the lab who has been such a kind mentor and always provides thoughtful feedback and support. I started at the same time as another grad student in my lab named Gwen Ellis, who has gone through all the steps of the program alongside me and is always willing to talk through processes and help me with projects. I feel really lucky to work with such kind and talented people.

Marine Life Teaches About a Changing World

What can you tell us about the specifics of your work? 

I study a hybrid zone of marine mussels in Australia. Essentially, a native species of mussel (Mytilus planulatus) has historically occupied its range throughout Southern Australia. More recently, in around the 1990's, an invasive species known as Mytilus galloprovincialis was introduced by global shipping. Once the invasive mussel arrived in Australia, the two species of mussels started to successfully reproduce and form a "hybrid zone." Essentially, there are no longer distinct populations of either species found throughout their range. Instead, there is complete hybridization of the two species. This occurs along a temperature gradient. In areas of warmer water, there are increased proportions of the invasive mussel DNA, while in colder waters, there is less invasive mussel DNA. This makes a really interesting system for evaluating how the genetic background of these hybrid mussels influences their ability to withstand thermal stress. 

What does that research involve?

The work I do involves bioinformatics (organizing large datasets to make sense of them), lots of reading for theoretical background, and experiments to understand how temperature impacts different organisms. This involves going to the field to collect organisms, then bringing them back to our lab to raise the organisms in different temperature conditions. I have mostly been planning experiments, working as a teaching assistant, and taking courses since starting at UVM, but this summer I will be in Australia to collect marine mussels and conduct experiments. I will go Mallacoota, Victoria to collect from a specific population of marine mussels, and take them back to a lab in Queenscliff, Australia to have the mussels reproduce. Once the mussels reproduce, I will subject their larvae to different temperatures and collect data about their feeding rates, swimming rates, how often organisms successfully make it through stages of metamorphosis and then extract mussel DNA. If you were to look at me in the lab, you would see me mostly spending time writing and planning but also spending a great deal of time taking care of mussel water quality and feeding them. The main goal is to ensure standardized conditions throughout the experiment and to rear mussel larvae healthily. This includes testing water samples and frequently giving larvae algae. Additionally, I will be extracting DNA from samples of larvae, which involves homogenizing the larvae and adding a series of reagents to break apart their DNA on a chemical level, so it is more accessible for sequencing. After this, I will do more bioinformatics to identify genes important for thermal tolerance in their genome.

Why mussels, specifically?

I study marine mussels because they provide a very elegant system for parsing the relationship between thermal tolerance and how different species adapt. Essentially, invasive mussels have been introduced to Australia from the Mediterranean, which has warmer waters. The system of Australian mussels allows me to evaluate how species adaptation to different temperatures influences thermal tolerance when these systems have hybridized. 

What about marine ecosystems appeals to you as a researcher?

Marine ecosystems appeal to me because the ocean buffers many effects of climate change for humans, and I love hearing people's unique interactions with marine organisms. Sea surface temperature changes reduce the effects of climate change that we feel on land, and the ocean absorbs carbon dioxide. Many organisms in the ocean will see the effects of climate change before humans do. I am also interested in commercially viable marine invertebrates. Humans interact with marine systems through harvesting seafood, engaging in global shipping that inadvertently transports invasive species, all of which changes the environment. Many seafood sources are culturally important to people on a personal level and as a source of protein. Understanding how these organisms are affected by global change is important to me. Additionally, I really enjoy talking to people about their experiences with animals in the ocean. I used to work with horseshoe crabs, and seeing people light up and share memories about seeing horseshoe crabs on the beach makes me happy. I like to hear about how these strange invertebrates play a role in people's lives. 

Why is understanding rapid evolution important now?

Understanding rapid evolution will provide insight into how species invasions and thermal tolerance play a role in changing ecosystems. When the environment changes, novel combinations of traits and genetic backgrounds have a new opportunity to thrive. Understanding how this happens on a molecular level will be important for understanding how biological invasions and temperature change can influence the persistence of different species. 

Science Inspired by a Caring, Hard-Working Family

Can you tell us about where you're from?

I grew up in the Midwest. I lived in the Chicago suburbs until I was 12, where I grew up going to the Field Museum, a natural history museum, and the Shedd Aquarium with my mother and sister. My family was not very interested in nature, but I got to interact with biological diversity in a different capacity. When I was 12, my family moved to Southern Indiana. 

What's your family background? Did your family inspire the work you're doing now?

Neither of my parents went to college. My dad was a plumber, and my mom worked with cars. Being the first in my family to attend college influenced my schooling (I wrote about this in my essay for this fellowship). It was never a given that I would attend college—the main reason I was able to attend school was because of scholarships and working in a diner. My mother inspired me in so many ways. My mother had Multiple Sclerosis, and I grew up going to medical appointments with her and visiting her in the hospital when she was ill. When I started school, I wanted to be a doctor because I felt so grateful for the quality of life that doctors and medications gave my mother and wanted to help others in a similar way. Soon after starting college, I started doing research and realized that I am much more interested in ecological physiology. My mother was always very supportive of my work, and she was very hardworking and organized. Anything she did, she put her all into it. When doing research in my lab, I would think back to how my mom organized her projects in binders and with meticulous tables. I think she got that from her grandmother, who cataloged our family through photographs at the same intensity of an anthropological ethnographer. At my great grandmother's house, there are over 100 labeled photobooks of my extended family with in-depth handwritten captions on the back of each.

My senior year of high school, my mother was diagnosed with cancer. She passed away my sophomore year of college, and my younger sister moved in with me from Indiana. My younger sister inspires me so much as well—she is also very hardworking and adventurous. She graduated high school early and started working full time while living with me, and soon after started college, where she continues to balance jobs with her schoolwork and studying abroad. She knows how to make the most out of any situation, and I am grateful that we are so close. 

Are there any past experiences that have especially influenced your doctoral work?

My past work that inspired my doctoral work has been working with invasive green crabs alongside the Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve as well as working with a Charleston, SC organization called the Lonon Foundation while I was in college. I interned in Maine on a project evaluating the potential to use invasive green crabs as a softshell fishery item. This project was super interesting for me because I worked with green crabs on a community pier, and got to hear local Mainers discuss the impacts of the green crab invasion and their interests for ocean recreation. It was a really interesting project that introduced me to invasive species work and allowed me to learn about how non-scientists engage with species invasions. Additionally, while I was in college, I volunteered with a community organization known as the Lonon Foundation which provides free monthly events for children whose parents have cancer. I started as a volunteer, but over the years became more involved in background activities such as fundraiser event planning, compiling demographic information, and eventually started working alongside the organization to apply for grants. I really enjoyed the administrative tasks, especially grant writing, which has given me confidence applying for funding opportunities as a student. 

What else is an important part of your story that we should know?

Last, I want to say that I'm super grateful for the University of Vermont biology department for supporting my studies. My peers are so thoughtful and helpful with my research goals, while my advisor and members of my graduate committee challenge me to grow as a scientist. I am really glad for such a great community. 

Read More

For more stories that show the scope of research at UVM, and learn about researchers and their work:

• UVM Achieves Prestigious Carnegie R1 Designation, Joining Highest Level of U.S. Research Institutions

• Bolstering the Impact of the UVM Cancer Center Research Fund: One Community Member's Generous Act

• Maddy Cooney, Undergraduate Researcher and 2024 Recipient of the Women in Science Fund Award

• David Jangraw: Inaugural Recipient of Wiggans Teaching Excellence Award

• Jumping Worms and Healthy Soils