The Marchetti Lab (Fall 2025)
 

 
Adrian Adrian Marchetti, Principal Investigator
2023 – present, Professor, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill
2018 – 2022, Associate Professor, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill
2011 – 2017, Assistant Professor, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill
2005 – 2010, Post-doc/Research Scientist, University of Washington
2005, Ph. D, University of British Columbia
1998, B. Sc., McGill University
 
My outlook on life is whenever you are in doubt, just climb higher (which is meant to be taken literally or metaphorically depending on the situation).
 
 
Brittany Zepernick, Postdoctoral Research Fellow
2024 – present, NSF OCE Postdoctoral Research Fellow, University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill
2023-2024, SEC Emerging Scholar Postdoctoral Fellow & Lecturer, UTK
2018-2023, Ph.D., University of Tennessee Knoxville
2014-2017, B.Sc (Honors), Bowling Green State University
 
For her Ph.D., Britt investigated the factors that drive algal bloom success and succession in Lake Erie – with a focus on toxic cyanobacteria and non-toxic freshwater diatoms. Now, she has ridden the freshwater – marine continuum to Chapel Hill where she will research whether proton-pumping rhodopsins serve as an alternative energy source in polar diatoms derived from the Southern Ocean.
 
Emily Speciale, Graduate Student
2023 – present, M.Sc. candidate, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill
2022, B.Sc. University of Miami
 
Emily is using bioinformatics to investigate how iron status influences mixotrophic phytoplankton to turn from prey to predator. She is also stepping outside of her computer comfort zone to participate in field work cruises and run lab culture experiments. Outside of the office, you can find her leading the EMES intramural volleyball team and spending time with rescue cats, including two of her own, Winston & Cece. 
 
 
Margarita Lankford, Graduate Student
2024 – present, M.Sc. candidate, University of North Caroline-Chapel Hill
1999 – 2004, PhD University of Massachusetts-Amherst
1993 – 1995, M.A. University of Massachusetts-Amherst
 
After spending years optimizing global return on assets for large banks and modeling disease burden for health management companies, Margarita decided to dive into the microscopic world of marine phytoplankton. She is on the quest to find out if the diatoms of Galápagos Islands give “Thumbs Up” rating to their nutrient delivery system, and which localities around the islands are making this year’s Top 10 “Best places to raise an autotroph family”.
 
Abby Russ, Undergraduate Researcher
2022 – present, B.Sc candidate, University of North Caroline-Chapel Hill
 
Abby is a senior studying Biology, Marine Sciences, and Education. In the lab, she has worked with phytoplankton cultures from the Southern Ocean and examines how their growth is affected by short-term nutrient fluctuations. She hopes to pursue a graduate degree studying Polar Ecology after graduation. Outside of class, she enjoys reading, going for walks, and working on theatrical productions around campus. Her next play should be called “A Tale of two Diatoms”.
 
 
Ankit Singh, Undergraduate Researcher
2023 – present, B.Sc candidate, University of North Caroline-Chapel Hill
 
Ankit is a Chemistry major in the class of 2027. He is currently working with microbes from the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre to see how they respond to different types of nitrogen sources. While he’s still unsure where his research interests lie, he loves working in the lab and practically lives in Murray Hall roaming the halls asking folks if they need nitrogen. He will nerd out about pro and college sports whenever he gets the chance.
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
This could be you! Click here to find out about joining the lab.
 
 
 
 
 
 
Previous lab members (and where they are now):
 
Abigail Lamoutte, Undergraduate Researcher 2023-2025 (Environmental Sciences, UNCW)
Raquel Flynn, Post-doctoral Fellow 2023-2025 (Junior Research Fellow, University of Cape Town)
YuanYu (Johnson) Lin, Ph.D Student 2018-2024 (Data Analyst, Harvard Medical School)
Meredith Meyer, Ph.D Student 2020-2024 (Post-doctoral Fellow, UEA)
Prisca Lim, M.Sc. Student 2022-2024 (Bioinformatics Specialist, UNC School of Medicine)
Vincent White, Undergraduate Researcher 2022-2024 (Research Fellow, Northwestern University)
Deron Jay Bakker, Undergraduate Researcher 2023-2024 (Graduate Student, Rice University)
Maxfield Palmer, Undergraduate Researcher 2021-2023 (Bridge to PhD fellow, Columbia University)
Sarah Andrew, Post-doctoral Fellow 2019-2022
Olivia Torano, Lab Manager/Research Scientist 2018-2022 (Environmental Protection Agency)
Se Hyeon Jang, Post-doctoral Fellow 2020-2021 (Assistant Professor at Chonnam National University, Republic of Korea)
Carly Moreno, Ph.D. Student 2012-2020 (Post-doc at NYU Abu Dhabi)
Emily Pierce, Undergraduate Researcher 2017-2020 (Graduate Student in Schnetzer Lab at NC State)
Maggie Bernish, Undergraduate Researcher 2017-2020
Logan Whitehouse, Research Scientist/Rotating Graduate Student 2019 (UNC BBSP program)
Weida Gong, Ph.D. Student 2014-2019 (Bioinformatics Specialist for Illumina Inc.)
Erika Neave, M. Sc. Student 2017-2019 (Research Scientist at Liverpool John Moores University)
Rob Lampe, M. Sc. Student 2015-2018 (Ph.D. Student at UCSD)
Doug Rouse, Undergraduate Researcher 2017-2018
Gustavo Hernandez, Undergraduate Researcher 2017-2018
Natalie Cohen, Ph. D. Student 2011-2017 (Assistant Professor at Skidaway Institute of Oceanography)
Liah McPherson, Undergraduate Researcher 2016-2017
Nathalie Eegholm, Undergraduate Researcher 2016-2017
Xavi Velasquez, Undergraduate Researcher 2016-2017
Sarah Davies, Post-doctoral Fellow, 2014-2017 (Assistant Professor at Boston University)
Jacob Dixon, Undergraduate Researcher 2015-2016
Vicky Tsakas, Undergraduate Researcher 2015-2016
Brooke Stemple, Undergraduate Researcher 2015 (graduate student at Notre Dame University)
Kelsey Ellis, Undergraduate Researcher 2012-2013, M. Sc. Student 2013-2015, Lab Manager 2017 (works at Albemarle-Pamlico National Estuary Partnership)
Wilton Burns, Undergraduate Researcher/Research Scientist 2013-2015 (graduate student at UVermont)
Spencer Nelson, Undergraduate Researcher 2014-2015
Stephanie Smith, Undergraduate Researcher 2014-2015 (Graduate Student in Septer Lab)
Dylan Catlett, Undergraduate Researcher 2013-2014 (graduate student at UCSB)
Christian Stackhouse, Researcher Scientist 2013-2014 (graduate student in Neurobiology at UAB)
Jamal Benjamin, Undergraduate Researcher 2013-2014 (globe trotter)
Harry Masters, Undergraduate Researcher/Research Scientist 2012-2013 (dive bum in Bermuda)
Daniel Karr, Undergraduate Researcher, 2012-2013
Michael Clear, Undergraduate Researcher, 2012 (graduate student at Old Miss)
Kimberly Delong, Undergraduate Researcher, 2011-2012, Lab Manager 2015-2017 (graduate student at UC Santa Cruz)
Elyse Wills, Undergraduate Researcher, 2011