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  Peralta Lab - Microbial Ecology

microbial ecology team

​​Ariane L. Peralta, PhD

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Principal Investigator. Retired rocker. Donut provider. Lab morale is very important around here! Work hard and play hard!
AP CV​ (updated 12 November 2022)

Dejah Smith, BS

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​MS Biology Student. Former NSF REPS Scholar, Post-Baccalaureate Researcher. Dejah leads the comparative genomics of bacterial isolates to examine nutrient effects on soil bacterial traits. Dejah  conducts research on microbiome exchange between humans and non-human primates.

Colin Finlay, BS

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MS Biology Candidate. Colin works on projects focused on how land use change, salinization, and natural hazards interact to affect microbial community structure and function in wetland and agricultural soils.

Surinder Gill

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Biology Major. Undergraduate Researcher. Surinder examines the role that the sediment microbiome plays in marsh cordgrass establishment in the restoration of coastal wetlands. ​

Scott Siebor, BS

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MS Biology Student. Scott examines fertilization effects on microbial processes and wetland carbon storage. Scott also leads analysis of soil bacterial isolates.

Tom Vogel, MS

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PhD Candidate, Coastal Resources Management. Tom examines environmental effects on public health using geospatial, hydrologic, and economic modeling. Tom is advised by Randall Etheridge (Engineering,  ECU ), Jacob Hochard (Economics, Univ. of Wyoming), and AP. 

Allison Walker, BS

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Post-bacc Researcher. Former 2021 National Undergraduate Research Project Intern & NCSU Honors Capstone Mentee. Allison examines the extent that nutrient enrichment influences bacterial life history strategy (i.e., fast growth, slow growth).

Brian Hinckley, MS

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Research Technician. Brian works with the Peralta and Etheridge labs and the Water Resources Center! Brian leads up measuring microbial and hydrologic processes and training new folks on analytical instrumentation and biogeochemical methods.

Kai Davis

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Biology Major. Undergraduate Researcher. Kai examines plant-microbe associations in engineered and natural freshwater and coastal wetlands. ​

Glory Kidimbu

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Biology Major. Undergraduate Researcher. Glory works on microbial molecular methods and wetland microbiome analyses to examine coastal restoration effects on plant-microbe associations. 

BURT

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Founding Peralta Lab Member (2009-2022). Former Canine Executive Officer | Happiness Manager |Treat and Nap Consultant. ​​

BRINKS

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Canine Snacks Officer | Nap Consultant-in-Training 

Collaborating Researchers at ECU's Water Resources Center

Collaborating Researchers at ECU's STEM CoRE

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Lab Alumni
Daniya Stephens, MS Biology, ECU, 2022
Aied Garcia Sanchez, MS Biology, ECU, 2022 (Current: Microbiology Teaching Lab Manger, East Carolina University)
Regina B. Bledsoe, PhD IDPBS, ECU, 2020 (Current: Research Scientist, Pennsylvania State University)
Trey Mason, Graduate Research Assistant, 2018-19
Casey Eakins, Technician/Undergraduate Research Assistant, 2014-2018

Deborah Lichti, PhD IDPBS, ECU, 2018, Co-advised by David Kimmel
Brian Hinckley, MS Biology, ECU, 2018, Co-advised by Randall Etheridge (Current: East Carolina University)
Alexandra 'Alex' Stucy, MS Biology, ECU, 2017 (Current: 
New Jersey Public Schools​)

​Luise Armstrong, MS Biology, ECU, 2017, Co-advised by Marcelo Ardón
Joshua Thigpen, MS Biology, ECU, 2015, Co-advised by Carol Goodwillie (Current: Lab Technician at Environment 1, Inc.) 
Yanmei Sun, Postdoctoral Research Associate, 2015-2016, (Current: Faculty at 
Northwest University, Xi’an, China) 

Undergraduate Students
Ivan Martinez-Santoyo, Undergraduate Research Assistant (2021-2022), BS Biology
Ana Ramirez, Undergraduate Research Assistant (2022), BS Biology

Virginia Acosta Rosas, Undergraduate Research Assistant (2020-2022), BS Biology
​Shajany Davis
, Undergraduate Research Assistant (2021-2022), BS Biology
​Charlotte Messmer, Undergraduate Research Assistant (2022), BS Biology
Joe Whittington, Undergraduate Research Assistant and Lab Tech, (2019-2021), BS Biology
De'Monnie Williams, Undergraduate Research Assistant (2020-2021), BS Biology
Alexia Griffin, Undergraduate Research Assistant (2017-2020), BS Biology and Public Health

Ivanellis Rodriguez-Torres, Undergraduate Research Assistant (2020 NSURP), University of Puerto Rico at Cayey
Fechi Inyama, Undergraduate Research Assistant (2020 NSURP), Harvard University
Guadalupe Bernal, Undergraduate Research Assistant (2020 NSURP), California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
Megan Koceja, Undergraduate Research Assistant (2016-19),  BS Biology
Emma Richards, Undergraduate Research Assistant (2019),  BS Biology
Allison Fisk, Undergraduate Research Assistant (2018-19), BS Biology
Diego Carreño, Undergraduate Research Assistant (2017-18),  BS Biology
Samuel Austin, Undergraduate Research Assistant (2017-18),  BS Biology
Michael Dozier, Undergraduate Research Assistant, Co-mentored by Chris Balakrishnan (2017-18), BS Biology & Biochemistry
Corey Forbes, Undergraduate Research Assistant (2016-17), BS Biochemistry
David Morlock, Undergraduate Research Assistant (2017), BS Biology
Morgan Beamon, Undergraduate Research Assistant (2015-16), BS Biochemistry 
Jonathan LeCrone, Undergraduate Research Assistant (2015-16), BS Biology/Chemistry

J. Spencer Wilkinson, Undergraduate Research Assistant (2014-16), BS Biology
Katherine Dorronsoro, Undergraduate Research Assistant (2015-16), BS Biology
Sheridan Iroegbu, Undergraduate Research Assistant (2014), BS Biology
Rene Vanek, Undergraduate Research Assistant (2014), BS Environment Health Sciences
  • Home
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    • Overview
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  • Teaching + Outreach
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    • Connect with us
    • Join the team