ABOUT MEI am a PhD student at Virginia Tech studying innovative methods for monitoring the marine environment. I develop electronic monitoring systems, and build autonomous drones for collecting information with supervised learning. I create data-generation pipelines from social networks and construct interactive websites and web apps. And I am a biochemist and geneticist currently interested in characterizing elasmobranch biodiversity in the Mediterranean Sea with environmental DNA.
Since 2019, I have specialized in these areas of study to remotely monitor shark populations with non-lethal, non-invasive, and cost-efficient methods. My previous research dealt with mapping the genome of the Aedes albopictus mosquito-- vector of the chikungunya virus and dengue fever. I specialized in molecular techniques such as Flourescent in situ Hybridization. 
eDNA sampling in the Adriatic Sea
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Researching Pink Salmon in the Prince William Sound, Alaska
NewsRiff Reporter
Great white sharks in the Mediterranean: From a supposed monster to an icon of modern species protection Forbes Uncovering Mediterranean white shark using environmental DNA (eDNA) BOATS International Yachts for Science: Sailing superyacht helps with ground-breaking shark research in the Mediterranean Robb Report How This 87-Foot Sailing Yacht Is Helping to Protect Endangered White Sharks |
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Web Application Development 
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Field Experiments and eDNA
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Artificial Intelligence for Shark Conservation 
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Interacting with Fishing Communities 
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