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Education

Ph.D. Student, Quantitative Systems Biology (2021–Present)
University of California, Merced – Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Sogin Lab
GPA: 4.0

• Marine Microbial Ecologist

Advanced Research Training: Microbial Diversity (Jun–Aug 2022)
Marine Biological Laboratory, The University of Chicago, Woods Hole, MA

B.S., Biological Sciences (Biotechnology Concentration) (2019–2021)
Miami Dade College, Miami, FL – GPA: 3.64

• Graduated with Honors

A.A., Biological Sciences (Biotechnology Concentration) (2017–2019)
Miami Dade College, Miami, FL

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Research Experience

Ph.D. Student Researcher (Aug 2021–Present)
University of California, Merced, CA

• Targeted Cultivation of Plant Beneficial Bacteria from the seagrass Zostera marina (N-fixing, Sulfur detoxifying, IAA producing)
• Generated Culture Collections of over 450 micrbial isolates ~20% Novel Bacteria Using Custom Growth Media Formulations
• Whole genoeme sequencing, assembly, annotation, phylogenetics and mining for metabolisms of interest
• Metagenomic, metatranscriptomic, metabolomics analysis of seasonal fluctuations of Z. marina microbiome
• 16S amplicon nanopore community analysis
• Undergraduate mentoring

Research Trainee (Jun–Aug 2022)
Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA

• Created sulfide-oxygen gradients for microbial community reassembly
• Cultivated diverse microorganisms involved in biogeochemical transformations
• Conducted molecular and computational analyses of microorganisms and viruses

Undergraduate Researcher (2019–2021)
University of Florida, Nova Southeastern University, and Miami Dade College
Key achievements across labs:

• Characterization of novel cyanobacterial species (Scytonema spp.)
• SAR11 bacterial culturing and FISH optimization
• Enzyme and cell proliferation assays using human neural progenitor cells
• Poster/Oral presentations at USDA iCATCH, FIU McNair, and Life Sciences STEM Symposia

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Teaching & Mentorship

Guest Lecturer, Microbial Metabolisms (Sep 2024)

Instructor, Diverse Microbial Metabolisms & Growth Media Design (Spring 2023)

Outreach Leader, Microbe Hunters – Hayward High School (2023)

• Developed student assays using catalase testing and foldscopes

Teaching Assistant, Intro to Biology (Fall 2022, UC Merced)

• Led discussions, graded assignments, and hosted study sessions

Teaching Assistant, Nutrition (2021–2022, UC Merced)

• Created flipped-classroom modules and supported students individually

Learning Assistant, Chemistry (2019–2021, Miami Dade College)

• Developed and facilitated active-learning recitations in General Chemistry

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Awards & Honors

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2025 – Applied Environmental Microbioloy Gordon Research Conference Poster Prize ($250) & Early Career Researcher Prize ($250) 2025 – GEBA IV PacBio Whole Genome Sequencing (300+ isolates)
2024 – MacKenzie Scott Graduate Student Travel Award ($1000); QSB Travel Fellowship ($750)
2023 – NSF Graduate Research Fellow ($261,000); Ford Foundation Honorable Mention
2022 – DOE MBL MicDiv Funds ($9,500); Ford Fellowship Honorable Mention; QSB Research Award
2021 – NSF–UF Pathways to Success Scholarship ($3,600)
2020–2019 – Multiple STEM Scholarships, Dean’s List honors
2015 – Miami Swim Week Peroni Design Finalist
2010 – Miami New Times Top 100 Creatives (#67); Best Retro Threads Nominee
2008 – Etsy Featured Seller

Volunteer & Fieldwork

2019–2020 – NOAA Phytoplankton Monitoring Network, Miami, FL

• HAB monitoring and microscopy-based identification

2019–2020 – Miami Dade College Food Pantry Community Garden

• Maintained and harvested produce for distribution

2018–2019 – University of Miami’s Rescue a Reef Program

• Cleaned and fragmented staghorn corals for reef restoration

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Presentations & Posters (Selected)

• Harnessing Beneficial Seagrass-Associated Bacteria, Gordon Research Seminar (2025)
• The Composition and Functional Potential of Growth-Promoting Seagrass Bacteria, World Seagrass Conference (2024)
• Isolation of Seagrass Associated Bacteria, JGI Workshop Poster (2024)
• Capturing and Quantifying Beneficial Seagrass Bacteria, UC Merced QSB Retreat (2023)
• Exploring the Seagrass Microbiome for Probiotic Amendments, Western Society of Naturalists (2022)
• Basics of Social Media for Science, Miami Dade College Undergraduate Research Academy (2021)

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Professional Workshops

2024 – JGI Microbial Genomics & Metagenomics Workshop
2022 – Teaching and Learning in the Sciences (15-week seminar)
2020 – Mindset and Math Science Achievement Institute

Fashion Career

Before pursuing science, Diane was a fashion designer for 12 years. Handmaking over 3000 custom wedding and bridesmaids dresses online via Miss Brache on Etsy. Her design work has been featured on Martha Stewart Weddings, Miami New Times, Bust Magazine, Sports Illustrated Magazine, and a variety of other publications. She would spend all her time listing to scientific podcasts and driving her friend’s crazy talking about genetics and chemistry. Finally, realizing that smart is not something you are; it is something you become, she re-enrolled in school to help solve more significant problems than poorly fitting party dresses.