Meet Our Research Team
Dr. Joaquim Goes
Lamont Research Professor
Fields of interest: Climate change and its impact on ocean biota and biogeochemical processes;
a) Marine phytoplankton physiology and productivity b) Climate change and its impact on ocean biota and biogeochemical processes c) Development of ocean color and other remote sensing algorithms and methods for studying ocean carbon cycling and air-s
Dr. Helga Rosario Do Gomes
Lamont Research Professor
I am a biological oceanographer with a PhD in Marine Sciences from the Mumbai University. I use satellite data to study Climate Change and its effect on Ocean Biogeochemistry. Recently, I have been studying how human activities in coastal megacities are changingthe biodiversity of the Arabian Sea and the repercussions for the food chain. I live in Manhattan, NY but my hometown is in the state of Goa, India. I devote my free time to exploring the city that never sleeps and promoting Goa Chitra, an ethnographic museum located in Benaulim, Goa, India.
Kali McKee
Senior Research Staff Assistant
I graduated from Barnard College in 2009 and have been working at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory ever since. I previously did a lot of work on the Hudson River Estuary and participated in several research cruises in the Bering Sea before joining the Goes Lab in 2011, where I now continue to study the effects of climate change on ecosystems such as the Bering Sea, as well as the Arabian Sea and Amazon River. I culture a wide variety of phytoplankton and other aquatic microorganisms, which we use in CO2 experiments in the lab, testing the effects of different pCO2 concentrations on their physiology and growth rates. I am otherwise responsible for processing seawater and biological samples from research cruises and culture experiments and compiling all of the biological, chemical, and physical oceanographic data collected from the field.
Alexandria Ang
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Alexandria Ang is a sophomore at Macalester College. Although she has been at the Goes-Gomes lab since the summer of 2016, she has had a passion for marine biology ever since she was born. In her down time, she blogs for her Young Adult book blog and occasionally takes photos of books.
Jessey Kreinik
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Jessey Kreinik is a junior at Skidmore College, where she studies biology and geosciences. This summer, she is an REU student at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, studying the combined effects of CO2, O2, and the presence of prey on the proliferation of Noctiluca scintillans. Student, Aspiring Scientist, avid Netflix binger, and poetry connoisseur are just some of the titles that she uses. Jessey cannot wait to present her groundbreaking research this summer, alongside her amazing lab partners. She hopes to continue doing research, and is excited for future projects.
Yue (Winnie) Wen
Yue (Winnie) Wen
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Winnie Wen is an undergraduate intern for the summer of 2019. She comes from Beijing, China, and is currently studying science at Macalester College in the Twin Cities. Winnie really enjoys working at Lamont with Dr. Goes, Dr. Gomes, and all other interns since she loves interacting with people and discussing scientific matters. Beyond serious work, Winnie is also blending into the U.S. culture by making friends, with a goal to make the lab a more diverse and better place.
Ahren Alberto
High School Research Assistant
Ahren Alberto is a rising senior at West Essex High School in New Jersey. He is very passionate about science and plans to major in chemistry or biology so that he can eventually pursue a career as a physician. In his free time, Ahren enjoys watching soccer and playing the piano.
Alisa D'Souza
High School Research Assistant
I am a junior at Peekskill High School in my first internship program at the Lamont-Doherty labs this summer. I am part of a research group studying Noctiluca scintillans and its behavior under varied conditions. I enjoy learning about human impacts on the environment and the world. It is interesting to see how we can affect small organisms that become such massive algal blooms. In the times that I’m not doing school work, I love to read, learn about animals and marine life, bake and practice art.
Julian Jacobs
High School Research Assistant
My name is Julian Jacobs and I am a senior at Hastings High School in Westchester County New York. My interest in the effects of ocean acidification on phytoplankton led me to discover the Gomes and Goes Labs’ research on Noctiluca in the Arabian Sea. This study has allowed me to combine my passions for ecology, biology, and environmental science, while having current and tangible human impacts and applications. I hope to pursue similar research through college and beyond.
William Kuster
High School Research Assistant
William Kuster is a senior attending the Collegiate School in New York City. After exploring the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory in 2014, he is excited to be working alongside Drs. Goes and Gomes five years later. Hoping to pursue a career in the environmental sciences, William also loves ecology, coral reefs, history, and research in general. When not in the lab, William might be on the basketball court, baseball diamond, in the school Science Olympiad room, or watching his aquarium at home. Beyond his work testing O2 and CO2 conditions on Noctiluca scintillans, he helps with our website.
Aviva Schwarz
High School Research Assistant
Aviva Schwarz is a junior at the Bronx High School of Science with a passion for engineering and STEM. She is interested in engineering and researching mitigation strategies to help the world combat the effects of climate change. When Aviva is not working at the Lamont-Doherty Institute you can find her building robots or playing the cello.
Asya Surphilis
High School Research Assistant
Asya is a rising senior at Dobbs Ferry High School, and she has been researching micro-plastics since the summer of 2017. She is strongly invested in the environment and researched plastics in her science research class. “The Effects of Microplastics,”“The effects of microplastics in Atlantic Sturgeon,” “Plastics in detergent,” “Synthetic materials in clothing and drainage,” and “feeding dyed fiber to noctiluca and zooplankton,” are all projects Asya has completed or is still working on. She writes strongly about plastics in the environment and how they affect the world and its people.