Gulf Research Program

Welcome to our new Early-Career Research Fellow, Katherine Graham! Dr. Graham is an Assistant Professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology whose research focuses on the fate and transport of pathogens in the environment and connecting environmental data with public health risk assessment models. Her work includes studying the impacts of climate change on waterborne disease and developing new tools for tracking public health risks.

Read Dr. Graham’s bio here: https://ow.ly/UOCR50ZV6NN

Welcome to our new Early-Career Research Fellow, Nazla Bushra! Dr. Bushra is an Assistant Professor (Research) with the Louisiana Office of State Climatology at Louisiana State University. Her research uses GIS, remote sensing, spatial modeling, and geospatial artificial intelligence for hazard risk assessment and community resilience planning across the Gulf Coast.

Read Dr. Bushra’s bio here: https://ow.ly/hoc850ZV6mR

Welcome to our new Early-Career Research Fellow, Nasrin Alamdari! Dr. Alamdari is an Assistant Professor at Florida State University whose research focuses on watershed hydrology, management, harmful algal bloom prediction and mitigation, and the application of artificial intelligence to water resources challenges.

Read Dr. Alamdari’s bio here: https://ow.ly/BtxP50ZV5KC

The Gulf Research Program has welcomed eight new Early-Career Research Fellows focused on community resilience. The 2026-2028 fellows will study how climate-related challenges such as heat, flooding, and pollution affect health, communities, and regional economies, while developing research and tools to help inform local decision-making.

Read the press release: https://ow.ly/PsCA50ZV5YA

Welcome to our new Science Policy Fellow, Felice V. Yarbough! Ms. Yarbough recently earned her M.S. in Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Sciences from Oregon State University. Her research examined organizational culture and professional experiences in conservation, with broader interests in policy, philanthropy, and using social science to inform decision-making.

Read Ms. Yarbough’s bio here: https://ow.ly/vEq850ZL03n

Welcome to our new Science Policy Fellow, Christa Russell! Dr. Russell recently completed her Ph.D. in Marine Science at the University of South Alabama and the Dauphin Island Sea Lab. Her research examined how predator cues, environmental stressors, and phenotypic plasticity shape oyster survival and restoration outcomes, with a focus on strengthening Gulf Coast reefs.

Read Dr. Russell’s bio here: https://ow.ly/o6u150ZKZYW

Welcome to our new Science Policy Fellow, Bennett Price! Dr. Price recently completed his Ph.D. in Integrative Biology at LSU New Orleans. His doctoral research focused on the effects of noise pollution on fishes in coastal and estuarine habitats of the northern Gulf, including how vessel noise affects sound-producing fish and critical spawning habitats.

Read Dr. Price’s bio here: https://ow.ly/uNzt50ZKZvX

Welcome to our new Science Policy Fellow, Jakob Meredith! Mr. Meredith received his Master of Public Health in Environmental Health from the University of Florida. His research has focused on environmentally driven infectious disease transmission and the role of climate change, including using wastewater surveillance to assess underreporting of Shigellosis in Gainesville, Florida.

Read Mr. Meredith’s bio here: https://ow.ly/jE2C50ZKZt3

Welcome to our new Science Policy Fellow, Kaeri M. Medina! Dr. Medina completed her Ph.D. in Cell and Molecular Biology at the University of Pennsylvania. Her dissertation focused on the role of a host translation termination factor during bunyavirus infection, and her broader interests include science diplomacy, biosecurity, infectious disease, and science communication.

Read Dr. Medina’s bio here: https://ow.ly/TxtB50ZKZoj

Welcome to our new Science Policy Fellow, Natasha Joseph! Dr. Joseph recently earned her Ph.D. in Geography, Environmental Science, and Policy from the University of South Florida. Her research focuses on environmental resilience, water access, food security, and the experiences of environmental change, particularly within coastal and rural communities in the Caribbean and Gulf regions.

Read Dr. Joseph’s bio here: https://ow.ly/ij8y50ZKZlN