Welcome to the Arnosti Lab

Carol Arnosti, Ph.D
Principal Investigator

Sherif Ghobrial, M.Sc.
Lab Manager

Graduate Students

Sarah Brown, B.Sc.
Ph.D. Candidate

Sarah Brown (she/her/hers) is a 5th year Ph.D. candidate in the Environment, Ecology, and Energy Program (E3P). Her research focuses on the interactions between selfish, sharing, and scavenging bacteria and the role of bacterial communities in organic matter degradation in the Atlantic, Indian, and Southern Oceans (see Projects for more information). She earned her bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science with a concentration in Ecological Science from George Mason University in 2016. As an undergrad, she participated in the Undergraduate Research Scholars Program (URSP) and conducted an independent research project on bacterial communities in the Potomac River under the mentorship of Dr. Robert Jonas and Dr. Leila Hamdan. In total, Sarah has participated in four research cruises on the Atlantic, Indian, and Southern Oceans throughout her undergraduate and graduate career. Outside of the lab, she enjoys rock climbing, spending time with her cat, Lizzie, and gardening.

Chad Lloyd, M.Sc.
Ph.D. Candidate

Chad Lloyd (he/him/his) is a third-year Ph.D candidate in the Arnosti Lab. He received a dual degree in Chemistry (B.S.) and Anthropology (B.A.) with a minor in Forensic Sciences from The University of North Carolina Wilmington (Go Seahawks!). Before entering the Department of Marine Sciences, he also received an M.S. in Chemistry from Carolina, where his research focused on drug evaluation using three-dimensional tumor models. He is passionate about improving higher education—through encouraging equity in educational opportunities—and serves as the Secretary for The Graduate and Professional Student Federation (GPSF; also known as Graduate Student Government). Chad loves scientific outreach; he serves as a Science Ambassador for Morehead Planetarium and Science Center, participating in multiple science outreach activities each year (see Outreach page for more). He also is on the Executive Team for Future Science Educators (FuSE), an organization focused on improving teaching skills and opportunities at UNC, and the Advisory Board for the Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching, and Learning (CIRTL) Network at UNC, focused on improving educational research in higher education.

Chad is also passionate about environmental research (specifically incorporating the use of MakerSpaces in environmental design and engineering). He works with Jose and Erin on projects focused on developing microfluidic devices to characterize changes in bulk organic matter as it is degraded by bacteria. Outside of school, Chad enjoys painting, playing basketball and four square, rock climbing, reading, and hiking with his friends. He also likes to play video games, notably racing games, or games on his Nintendo Switch. Chad has two dogs, Alex and Zeus, who he plays outside with when it isn’t too hot during the summer.

Undergraduate Students

Stephanie Caddell

Stephanie Caddell (she/her/hers) is a first-year undergraduate student studying Environmental Studies and minoring in Marine Science and Hispanic Studies. Her previous research has included work through Duke TIP in high school on Spanish Dancer Nudibranch venom and feeding habits. As a first year undergraduate, she has assisted in conducting research through the UNC Institute for the Environment on climate change and its affect on children and pregnant women. Stephanie is passionate about conservation and activism and has participated in climate change and political activism campaigns as an intern with the UNC chapter of the North Carolina Public Interest Research Group. Outside of activism and lab work, Stephanie loves to paint, play ukulele, and spend time outdoors.

Michael Demaesschalck

Michael DeMaesschalck is a fourth-year undergraduate student studying Chemistry. His previous research was conducted through the STEM Starter academy at Massasoit Community College. While at Massasoit, Michael focused on studying the effects of urbanization on native pollinators in Brockton, Massachusetts. After transferring from Massasoit to UNC Chapel Hill in 2020, he conducted research in Dr. Wubin Bai’s Lab prototyping a cardiac patch that can be placed on the heart and dissolve after a period of time. Michael has been a member of Dr. Arnosti’s lab since fall 2021 and has focused on researching a new method to detect specific enzyme activities in seawater. Outside of school Michael is passionate about hockey, jiu jitsu, and music.

Former Lab Members

Postdoctoral Research Associates

Jennifer Prairie, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, University of San Diego

Kai Ziervogel, Ph.D.
Research Associate Professor, University of New Hampshire

Graduate Students (Ph.D.)

Andrew Steen, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, University of Tennessee, Knoxville

JP Balmonte, Ph.D.
Research Scientist, Southern Denmark University

Adrienne Hoarfrost, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Dept. of Marine Sciences, Univ. Georgia

Graduate Students (M.S.)

Lindsay Ryan, M.Sc.
Venture Development Director, University System of Maryland

Avery Bullock, M.Sc.
Director of Operations, °Nomad Health

Undergraduate Students (past 5 years)

Jose Picado

Erin Lawrence

Ashley Mullikin

Chelsea Brown

Karylle Abella

Max Lowman

Bridey Kelly