Post Doctoral Researchers – Rutgers University Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences

Postdoctoral Researcher | Coral Biomineralization

jeana.drake@marine.rutgers.edu

Jeana Drake

Short Bio:

Dr. Jeana Drake is a broadly trained biologist working in biological oceanographic research. Studying cellular and molecular mechanisms of bio-calcification. Jeana will work with Dr. Prada and her interdisciplinary group to gain an improved understanding of the biological mechanisms underpinning the formation of bio-carbonates. Jeana will also participate in coordinating collaborative research projects across multiple scientists and institutions.

During her time as postdoctoral Associate, she will help to design, prepare, conduct, and analyze geochemical, biochemical, biophysical, and molecular biological experiments to study calcification mechanisms in a variety of marine organisms within Dr. Prada’s lab. She will ensure that her group and laboratory space have appropriate instrumentation for continued project development and execution.

Jeana received her PhD in Oceanography from Rutgers in 2015.

Youstina Elzahaby

Postdoctoral Researcher | Physical Oceanography & Ocean Modeling

youstina.e@rutgers.edu
DMCS

Youstina Elzahaby

Short Bio:

Dr. Youstina Elzahaby is a recent graduate who has received her PhD in Mathematics with a geophysical fluid dynamics major. Youstina’s research interests are predicting Marine Heatwaves using Machine Learning. While at Rutgers, she will conduct research on elements of the design, development and evaluation of a prototype East Coast Community Ocean Forecast System (ECCOFS) that implements data-assimilation of real-time observations in a Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS) model of the western North Atlantic Ocean and U.S. coastal and shelf waters.

Youstina received her PhD in Geophysical Fluid Dynamics at the University of New South Wales, Sydney Australia in 2024

SK Imadul Islam

Postdoctoral Researcher | Physical Chemistry

skimadul.islam@marine.rutgers.edu
DMCS

SK Imadul Islam

Short Bio:

Dr. SK Imadul Islam will be responsible for using existing molecular modeling and simulation tools to engineer protein scaffolds, toward the goal of developing simple, protein-based metallo-catalysts that replicate early life enzymes. Imadul will construct these molecules either by solid-phase peptide synthesis or recombinant expression and reconstitute with appropriate metal cofactors. Imadul will characterize protein structure, metal binding and catalytic activity using established biophysical, spectroscopic and electrochemical tools – EPR, CD, voltammetry.

Imadul received his PhD in Chemistry from S.N. Bose National Centre for Basic Sciences, India, in 2021

Renjie Pei

Postdoctoral Researcher | Paleoceanography

DMCS

Renjie Pei

Short Bio:

Dr. Renjie Pei is a paleoceanographer with a focus on reconstructing past sea surface temperatures (SST) and understanding climatic changes during the late Pleistocene and Holocene periods. Renjie started year 1 of her postdoctoral research at San Diego State University (SDSU) in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences with collaborator, Dr. Samantha Bova.

During her 2^nd year at Rutgers, she will be responsible for producing records of past sea surface temperatures using geochemical indicators preserved in marine sediments, interpreting these datasets, and communicating results via conference presentations and journal articles.

Renjie received her PhD from Christian-Albrechts-Universität in Kiel, Germany in 2021