Principle Investigator

Desk Jockey and Ocean Lover. Maggie obtained her Sc.B in Marine biology at Brown University and her Ph.D. at University of Hawaii.

Maggie enjoys being outside whenever possible, when outside the lab she can usually be found rock climbing in Yosemite or camping with her dog and husband.

Email: esogin [at] ucmerced.edu

Curriculum Vitae - PDF download

Doctoral Candidate

Seagrass Protector and Microbial Enthusiast. Diane obtained her B.S. in Biology with a concentration in Biotechnology at Miami Dade College.

Diane can often be found in the wild, camping, hiking, scuba diving, biking, surfing, or snowboarding. She needs to be watered often and exposed to the sun.

Email: dbrache-smith [at] ucmerced.edu

Doctoral Student

Mother to Aiptasia. Sophie obtained her B.S. in Marine Science at Eckerd College.

Outside the lab, Sophie enjoys hiking, scuba diving, and cooking.

Email: smacvittie [at] ucmerced.edu

Curriculum Vitae - PDF Download

Doctoral Student

Ocean Wonderer and Symbiosis Investigator.

Mara Schwiesow obtained a B.A. in both Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Philosophy from Cornell College.

Mara enjoys skiing, whitewater rafting, and hiking when she's not in lab.

Email: mschwiesow [at] ucmerced.edu

Postdoctoral Scholar

Cnidarian Fanatic and Simp for Symbionts. Kaden obtained his bachelors in Marine Biology from UC Santa Cruz and his PhD in Marine Biology from Texas A&M University Galveston. In his PhD he worked on jellyfish, and is excited to settle down into Anthozoans.

When not in the lab, Kaden can be found enthusiastically photographing his two cats, going on walks and baking.

Email: kadenmuffett [at] ucmerced.edu

Undergraduate Student

Jackie Badillo is a third-year undergraduate student who is on track to graduate in the spring of 2025 with a BS in Immunology and Microbiology. She plans to continue her passion for science after undergrad and pursue a Ph.D. in microbiology.

Jackie loves to bake and frequently brings in treats for the lab. She is a part of the Yosemite Leadership program at UC Merced and is an advocate for environmental stewardship both in and out of the lab.

Postdoctoral Scholar

Liaison between seagrass and microbes.

Gina obtained her B.S. in genetics at University of New Hampshire Durham and her Ph.D. in microbiology at University of Massachusetts Amherst.

When not in waders or a lab coat, Gina can either be found drinking a hot beverage among her bonsai collection and garden OR out on a hike exploring with her partner and dog.

Gina is based out of UC Davis and is jointly mentored by Drs. Jonathan Eisen, Jay Stachowicz and Maggie Sogin.

Email: ginamchaput [at ]gmail.com

Undergraduate Student

Saray is an undergraduate student who is expected to graduate in Spring 2026 with a B.S. in Microbiology and Immunology.

Saray enjoys reading, waiting and going on bike rides.

Email: smaeda2 [at] ucmerced.edu

Undergraduate Student

Emily is an undergraduate who is expected to graduate in 2026 with a B.S. in Biology.

Outside the lab, she can be found trying new foods and drinks. She enjoys playing badminton and causally kayaking.

Email: ele267 [at] ucmerced.edu

Lab Technician

Big Fan of Coral, Sunshine Addict and Mermaid Wannabe

Hailey obtained her B.S in Biology with an emphasis in Ecology and Biodiversity at Utah State University.

Outside of the lab, Hailey can be found binge reading a good book, creating ocean inspired art, or soaking up some sun (she says she’s ‘photosynthesizing’)

email: hhatch [at] ucmerced.edu

Curriculum Vitae - PDF

Postdoctoral Scholar

Metabolic Maven and Germ Guru. Vivian obtained her B.S. in Microbiology at The University of Texas at Arlington and her Ph.D. at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. During her Ph.D. training she studied how Salmonella Typhimurium, a pathogen that causes intestinal colitis, perceives the changing metabolic landscape of the gut to successfully cause disease.

Outside of the lab, Vivian loves to travel and is usually found cooking, baking, and spending time with her partner and their pets.