Natalia Quinete
Natalia Quinete is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Institute of Environment at FIU. She received her Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry at Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She did her postdoctoral research at FIU in the Southeast Environmental Research Center (SERC). She worked as a Research Scientist in Germany (Uniklinik Aachen) and at NC State in the Department of Environmental Engineering.
Leila Lemos
Leila S. Lemos is a Postdoc in the Institute of Environment at FIU working with cortisol, PFAS and phthalate analysis in oysters and dolphins, and coral lipidomic assessments . She has a B.S. degree in Biological Sciences from the Santa Ursula University (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – 2006), an MBA specialization degree in Environmental Planning and Management from the Veiga de Almeida University (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – 2009), a M.Sc. degree in Public Health and Environment from Public Health National School / Oswald Cruz Foundation (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – 2012), and a Ph.D. degree in Wildlife Science from the Oregon State University (Corvallis, United States – 2020).
Luciana Teresa Dias Cappelini
Luciana is a Postdoc in the Institute of Environment at FIU working on the NTA Solution Project funded by EPA STAR. She has a B.S. degree in Agronomy from the Julio de Mesquita Filho University (2002), graduate in Chemistry and Biological Sciences from the Metropolitan University of Santos (2013/2015), Master of Science (Analytical Chemistry) in 2008, and Ph.D. in Science (Analytical Chemistry) in 2013 both from the University of São Paulo (USP) – Institute of Chemistry of São Carlos (IQSC), Brazil. She has prior postdoctoral experience in the Department of Biology (Molecular Biology concentration area) at the Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP) and carried out an internship abroad (BEPE) at Northwestern University – Evanston – IL in the laboratory of natural products with excellence in proteomics of Professor Neil Kelleher.
Olutobi Daniel Ogunbiyi
Daniel is a graduate student pursuing his Ph.D in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry working on the assessment and bioaccumulation of PFAS in recreational fish and processed food from South Florida. He received his B.S. in Chemistry in 2018 at the University of Ibadan, in Nigeria.
Maria Eugenia Guerra de Navarro
Maria Eugenia is a graduate student pursuing her Ph.D in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry working on the assessment of non-point sources (atmospheric deposition) of PFAS in South Florida. She received her B.S. in Chemistry in 2006 at the Universidad Simón Bolívar, and Master in Environmental Sciences in 2014 at the Universidad del Zulia, Venezuela. She has worked many years as consultant, analyst and quality assurance at different companies.
Carolina Cuchimaque Lugo
Carolina is a graduate student pursuing her Ph.D in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry focused on assessing the occurrence of poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in drinking water from South Florida areas using the Liquid Chromatography in tandem/ Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) technique. She received her B.S. in Chemistry in 2006 from the Universidad Industrial de Santander, Colombia. She has working experience as chemistry in quality control at different companies.
Courtney Heath
Courtney is a graduate student pursuing her Ph.D in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry focused on the development of Target and Non-Target Analysis methods for the determination of PFAS in surface water and soil/sediment from South Florida using LC-MS/MS and LC-HRMS (High-Resolution Mass Spectrometer). She received her B.S. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology in 2021 from the University of South Carolina with Susan Richardson. She has been selected as CREST fellow.
Joshua Ocheje
Joshua is a graduate student pursuing his Ph.D in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry focused on the development of LC-MS/MS based methods to assess PFAS in biosolids and e-waste leachates. He received her B.S. in Industrial Chemistry in 2013 from the University of Jos and a Master of Science in Analytical Chemistry (2016) from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. He has prior experience as Assistant Lecturer in Nigeria.
Previous Postdocs
Danni Cui
Danni Cui earned her B.S. in applied chemistry from Liaoning University in 2011 and since 2018 her Ph.D. in Environmental Chemistry at FIU. In 2019 she worked at North Carolina State University. She has joined the group in 2020 as a Postdoctoral Associate working on method development and determination of phthalates and PFAS in environmental matrices. She also worked on the EPA Project to assess chemical exposure to children through soil and dust ingestion. She left January 2023, when she got a permanent position at the University of Florida in Gainesville.
Joseph Cox
Joe Cox was a Postdoc Associate for one year from January 2022 to 2023 in the Institute of Environment at FIU working on the EPA project developing new nontargeted analysis methodologies for estimation of soil and dust rate ingestion in children. He was a former Forensic Toxicologist and Lab Manager for ExperTox in Deer Park, Tx and recently graduated from West Virginia University (WVU) with a doctorate in Forensic Science (Fall 2021). He got a permanent job with the forensic team at Miami-Dade Police Department.
Previous students and staff
Emily Mejias
Emily has a Bachelor’s in Psychology from FIU and is the Project Coordinator at the Center for Children and Families and affiliated with the Institute of Environment, responsible for the recruitment of families and children of the EPA STAR funded Project “NTA SOLUTION”.
Kevin Drai
Kevin was an undergraduate student in psychology (major) with a minor in chemistry in our lab from Fall 2021 until Spring 2022. He graduated and is now a research intern working on recruitment and chemical analysis of the EPA STAR funded Project “NTA SOLUTION”.
Xuerong Li
Xuerong was a PhD candidate in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry working on the assessment of the occurrence, distribution and transport of PFAS in surface waters and drinking water in South Florida, including preserved areas of the Everglades. She got her B.S. in Biotechnology in 2014 from Jilin University, China. She successfully graduated in Fall 2022!!
Yordano Matos
Yordano is an undergraduate student in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry working on assessment of volatiles PFAS in rainwater and atmospheric particulate matter in South Florida. He joined the group on Summer 2022.
Amanda Di Perna
Amanda is an undergraduate student in the Department of Biology interested in gaining undergraduate research experience in the assessment of emerging contaminants in biological samples. She is working on phthalates analysis in dolphins plasma. She joined the group in Fall 2022.
Carla Colon Montalvo
Carla was a REU for Summer 2022 in the Institute of Environment. She received a scholarship from PRLSAMP (Research Opportunities for Undergraduate Students for Summer 2022). She is biology student from University of Puerto Rico working on the determination of phthalates to evaluate their effects in the behavior of land crab larvae, Cardisoma guanhumi.
Marie F. Corujo Bonilla
Marie was a REU for Summer 2022 in the Institute of Environment. She received a scholarship from PRLSAMP (Research Opportunities for Undergraduate Students for Summer 2022). She is biology student from University of Puerto Rico working on the determination of phthalates to evaluate their effects in the behavior of land crab larvae, Cardisoma guanhumi.
Neumiah Massenat
Neumiah was an undergraduate student in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and REU in the Institute of Environment investigating PFAS profiles and distribution in Biscayne Bay, South Florida. She joined the group on Summer 2022. She graduated in Summer 2022 and got an accepted into the Ph.D. program in Chemistry at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst.
Estela Manfrin
Estela was an undergraduate student in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry working on the assessment of PFAS in dolphins from Orlando, California and San Diego. She joined the group from Spring to Summer 2022, when she graduated.
Yosmely Reyna
Yosmely was an undergraduate student in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry working on the assessment of PFAS in rainwater in South Florida. She joined the group in Spring 2022 until Summer 2022, when she graduated.
Christian Hernandez Fajardo
Christian was a undergraduate student in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry working on the Firefighter Cancer Initiative project in Spring until end of June 2022. He was measuring PFAS exposure through protective gears and clothes. He has been accepted to a graduate program (Master in Biomedical Engineering) at the University Paris-Cite in France.
Morgan Fatowe
Morgan was a Honor undergraduate student in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry working together with Xuerong Li on the determination of PFAS in different areas of Florida. She was accepted in the Advanced Research and Creativity in Honors (ARCH) Program and joined the group in Falls 2020 and continued in the lab until graduation Spring 2022. She got accepted at SUNY ESF (State University of New York, College of Environmental Science and Forestry; Syracuse, NY) for a Ph.D. in Environmental Chemistry!
Alessandra Sanchez
Alessandra was an undergraduate student in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry working on the oxidative stress assessment of oysters and fish from Florida. She joined the group on Summer 2021 until Fall 2021.
Laura Gantiva
Laura was an undergraduate student in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry working on the development of an analytical method for the determination of phthalates in oysters from Florida. She graduated in Spring 2021 and continued working in the lab during Summer 2021.
Catherine Kaylor
Catie was a REU for Summer 2021 through the program in the Institute of Environment. She is Oceanography student from Texas A&M University working on the determination of PFAS in oysters from Florida.
Melissa Ricardo
Melissa was a undergraduate student in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry working on the determination of phthalates in surface waters leaching from plastic wastes. She graduated in Spring 2021 and is applying for Med School.