Faculty & Staff

Dr. Sharon joined the faculty in the summer of 2022 as a researcher and Director. She has a Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from the University of Veterinary Medicine, Kosice, Slovakia as well as a M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Fish Health at the Institute of Desert Research, Ben Gurion University, Israel. Dr. Sharon is recognized for her research and long-standing interest in the disease and pathology of fish Invertebrate and shellfish, aquatic animal diagnostics, fish health and welfare and Immunology of aquatic organisms.

Abbey is an RWU alum who started as a diagnostic technician in the ADL after graduation. Her interest in marine pathogens grew during this time, eventually leading her to pursue a M.Sc. in Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences with a certificate in Aquaculture and Fish Health from University of Florida. She has since returned to the ADL and is continuing to use traditional diagnostic skills combined with new molecular skills (qPCR, metagenomics, metabarcoding) for the detection of pathogens in marine invertebrates.

Michael is an RWU alumnus, who majored in marine biology and environmental science. He attained his M.Sc. from the University of New Haven focusing on ecotoxicology and GIS. He studied oceanographic phytoplankton in the Pacific Ocean with SEA Semester, and worked for the U.S. EPA testing the combined impact of coastal hypoxia and acidification. In the ADL, he focuses in aquatic husbandry, aquarium systems, and cellular & molecular biology to assists with all general diagnostics of fish and shellfish, as well as researching to develop new molecular diagnostic methods.

Jess holds a B.S. in Geoscience from Central Connecticut State University and recently earned an M.S. in Biological & Environmental Science from the University of Rhode Island. After completing her graduate studies, she developed a passion for marine biology while working at the NOAA Fisheries Marine Science Laboratory in Narragansett, RI. As part of the APEX Predator team in the Population Biology branch, Jess managed thousands of shark specimens within the NOAA archive and prepared them for aging studies and pathological analysis. At the ADL, Jess concentrates on the microscopic anatomy of fish and shellfish.