Adrienne Correa

Adrienne M.S. Correa

(she/they) 

Associate Professor, Dept. of Environmental Science, Policy, and ManagementUC Berkeley

Berkeley Center for Ocean Futures (Founder, Co-Director)

Associate Faculty Director, UC Gump Research Station


Francesca Cohn - Lab Manager

Francesca Cohn received a double major in integrative, and molecular and cellular biology from the University of California, Berkeley. Her undergraduate thesis in Craig Miller's lab investigated the logic of genetic enhancers in stickleback fish. In the Correa Lab, Francesca is excited to be applying her genomics knowledge to support projects investigating how coral endosymbionts impact coral health.

Email: francescamcohn@berkeley.edu

Local Contexts profile, ORCid


Willow Dunster - Ph.D. student (she/her)

Dunster, Willow WEB-4598

Willow completed her Bachelors of Science in Marine Biology at the University of Rhode Island in Dr. Carlos Prada’s lab. As an undergraduate, she studied the photophysiology and plasticity of Caribbean coral. As a lab technician, she worked on a variety of projects focused on population genetics, cryptic diversity, and temperate coral. In her Ph.D. studies, Willow is excited to explore the cnidarian-algal symbiosis and the world of microbial ecology.

Email: willow_dunster@berkeley.edu

Local Contexts profile, ORCid


Matt Ellis-Ramirez - Bay Area RaMP Fellow

Matt Ellis-Ramírez received an interdisciplinary bachelor's degree in Ecosystem Science and Policy from the University of Miami's Abess Center. While there, he served on several University Lab for Integrative Knowledge (ULINK) projects, each seeking to bridge various disciplines with community-level interventions. As the Bay Area RaMP Fellow for the Correa Lab, Matt brings a commitment to the intersections of ecology, conservation, and environmental justice and a curiosity for zooming in and learning from microorganisms in hopes of finding insights into our shifting ecosystems. 

Email: mnellisramirez@berkeley.edu

Local Contexts profile, ORCid


Carly E. Karrick - Ph.D. student, Google Scholar (she/her)

Carly Karrick 2024

Carly completed her Bachelors in Spanish and Biology at the University of Kentucky in Dr. David Weisrock’s lab, where she studied lemur gut microbiomes. In her Ph.D. studies, Carly combines microscopy and omics tools to investigate coral reef microbial ecology, with a focus on how coral-associated microorganisms influence host resistance to climate-related stressors. She is particularly interested in (i) how microalgae (family Symbiodiniaceae) and viruses influence coral disease susceptibility and response and (ii) the role of reef fishes in transmitting microorganisms to corals.

Email: carly_karrick@berkeley.edu

Website: https://carlykarrick.com/

Local Contexts profile, ORCid


Shara Sookhoo - Ph.D. student

Shara completed her Bachelors in Marine Biology and Ecology at the University of Miami, where she investigated the role of bacteria in coral health and disease. Her senior thesis examined the effects of antibiotics at the cellular level. For her Ph.D., Shara intends to explore the role of viruses in coral bleaching and disease. She is especially interested in identifying the pathogen(s) responsible for stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD).

Email: sharasookhoo@berkeley.edu

Local Contexts profile, ORCid


Taylor Walker - Ph.D. student, Google Scholar

Taylor Walker 24 for web

Taylor has a Master’s in Marine Science with a concentration in Public Policy from the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS). As part of her doctoral research, Taylor is examining environmental drivers of coral microbial symbiosis within dinoflagellate RNA viruses and Symbiodiniaceae.

Email: Taylor_walker@berkeley.edu

Local Contexts profile, ORCid


September 2024:

Lab Carly Quals


June 2023:

Lab Lunch June 2023


October 2022:

Lab in Moorea Oct 2022


March 2021:


April 2020:


November 2018:


October 2018:

good hair day Correa Lab


April 2018:

Correa Lab April 2018


December 2017:

correa-holiday-party-2017 med hr


Lab Alumni:

Antonia Brown, undergraduate researcher

Preeya Bhavsar, undergraduate researcher

Reb Bryant, senior thesis student, currently a Ph.D. student in Dr. Jim Bever’s lab at Kansas University

Cathy Cheng, senior thesis student

Kennedy Coleman, senior thesis student, now a Ph.D. student at Texas A&M University’s Medical Sciences Ph.D. program.

Julie Cooper, Research Experiences for Teachers (RET) participant

Grace Cullinan, senior thesis student

Dennis Conetta, lab manager

Dr. Samantha R. Coy, Postdoctoral scholar, currently a postdoctoral scholar at Texas A&M University

Jennifer Drummond, Masters student

Dr. Carsten Grupstra, Ph.D. student in the Correa Lab, now a post-doctoral scholar in the labs of Dr. Sarah Davies at Boston University and Dr. Kirstin Meyer-Kaiser at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, www.grupstra.com

Sara Emami, senior thesis student

Isabella Gutierrez, undergraduate researcher

Clark Hamor, Ph.D. student in the Correa Lab (co-advised by Dr. Jane Tao) while the lab was at Rice, now a Ph.D. student in Dr. Tao’s lab (Rice U.) 

Riley Hatch, lab technician

Dr. Lauren Howe-Kerr, senior thesis student, Ph.D. student in the Correa Lab, John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellow at the National Science Foundation, currently a post-doctoral scholar at Minderoo Foundation, https://sites.google.com/view/laurenhowekerr/home?authuser=0

Rusty Ludwigsen, undergraduate researcher

Julia Kim, undergraduate researcher

Anna Knochelsenior thesis student, recently completed her Masters degree in Dr. Michael Berumen’s lab at KAUST, now a Ph.D. student at Florida International University

Talia Levy, undergraduate researcher

Dr. Rebecca Maher, senior thesis student, recently defended her Ph.D. in Microbiology in Dr. Rebecca Vega Thurber’s lab at Oregon State University, now a post-doctoral scholar in Dr. Brendan Bohannan’s lab at the University of Oregon

Laura Mathewsundergraduate researcher

Jesse Passman, undergraduate researcher

Kristen Rabbitt, senior thesis student, currently a Ph.D. student in Dr. Randall Hughes lab at Northeastern University

Sydney Rodman, undergraduate researcher

Alex Rovner, undergraduate researcher

Kelsey Sanders, senior thesis student

Michael Saucedo, undergraduate researcher

Elaine Shen, senior thesis student, currently a Ph.D. student in Dr. Austin Humphries lab at the University of Rhode Island

Dr. Amanda N. Shore, Rice Academy Postdoctoral Fellow, currently an Assistant Professor at Farmingdale State College, www.amanda-shore.com 

Jordan Sims, senior thesis student, currently a Ph.D. student in Dr. Jennifer Salerno’s lab at George Mason University

Jake Sperry, undergraduate researcher

Eddie Tang, undergraduate researcher

Kara R. (Noonan) Titus, Ph.D. student in the Correa Lab while the lab was at Rice, now a Ph.D. student in Dr. Kory Evans’ Lab (Rice U.)

Jesse van der Meulen, undergraduate researcher

Dr. Alex Veglia, Ph.D. student in the Correa Lab, currently an Assistant Professor at the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez, https://alexjveglia.com

Sam Venker, undergraduate researcher

Cyrus Washington, senior thesis student

Joyah Watkins, Ph.D. student in the Correa Lab while the lab was at Rice, now a Ph.D. student in Dr. Kory Evans’ Lab (Rice U.)

Brendan Wong, senior thesis student

© Adrienne Simoes Correa 2016