Outreach

CASSI Inc – International Cassiopea Workshop

The first International Cassiopea Workshop was held in Key Largo, Florida in 2017 to bring together researchers interested in utilizing the emerging model system Cassiopea xamachana. A diverse group of researchers studying topics such as symbiosis, sleep, fluid dynamics, and development gathered in Key Largo. Since 2017, the community of researchers utilizing the system has expanded, and the workshop continues to promote networking, collaborative research, and sharing of knowledge to improve our understanding of biology. I have been a co-organizer to promote the use of the Cassiopea system globally.

To improve the workshop and expand our goals to increase accessibility, diversity, and inclusion, I and other co-organizers started the non-profit organization CASSI Inc. CASSI Inc will improve our ability to disseminate fellowships for students and post-docs to attend the workshop, as well as advance resources that will be useful for researchers, including protocols, clonal lines, and genomic resources.

For more information, please visit CassiopeaBase.org

Jellyfish in the Classroom

In 2019, I began working with faculty of Flintridge Preparatory School to develop curriculums designed around the moon jellyfish Aurelia aurita to teach students about various topics in biology as well as the scientific method. I also collaborated with students to start the schools now successful “Jellyfish Lab”, where students learn jellyfish husbandry, as well as perform experiments, Students have presented their work at the state science fair, as well as publish their independent research.

Read about the Flintridge Prep Jelly Lab here.

In collaboration with faculty at Flintridge, my goal is to make the curriculum modules available to other K-12 teachers so that schools can utilize jellyfish to teach about topics such as cell biology, regeneration, and behavior, while keeping costs low to ensure accessbility.