Lab Members

Chengze Li, Research Unit Technician

Twitter @ravasi_lab

I graduated from Hokkaido University at the end of 2019. When I was a doctoral student, my research focused on phylogenetic and molecular biological study on nitrogen transporters in red seaweeds. My main work here is to assist the research projects by using molecular biological techniques. I am very happy to join Marine Climate Unit and looking forward to learning new things. Apart from science, I enjoy my time with family, ping-pong, snowboarding and exploring Okinawa. Okinawa is a beautiful place to live, and OIST is wonderful place to do science.

Jeffrey Jolly, Research Unit Technician
jeffrey.jolly at oist.jp

Twitter @ravasi_lab

I’m happy to share my background in molecular biology, marine fieldwork, and animal husbandry as a member of the Marine Climate Change Unit. I originally joined OIST in 2016 as the manager of the cephalopod operations in Daniel Rokhsar’s Molecular Genetics Unit where I worked to pioneer the emerging laboratory model cephalopod, Euprymna berryi, and helped describe several unknown Okinawan species of cephalopods. I’m originally from Florida where I earned my BSc in pre-medicine with a focus in molecular biology at the University of West Florida. After graduating I joined Hui-Min Chung’s cell signaling laboratory as a research assistant while simultaneously becoming peripherally involved in marine science research. I’m interested in being on the leading edge of climate change research and learning more about life in the sea. I usually spend my free time doing Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, or in the water surfing, freediving, or SCUBA diving.

Jamila Rodrigues, Visiting Researcher
jamila.rodrigues at oist.jp

Twitter @Jamilajaguar

I am an Anthropologist focused on the well-being and crisis management and a visiting scholar at the Marine Climate Change Unit. In 2022, I was awarded a JSPS fellowship hosted by the International Research Centre for Japanese Studies, Kyoto. In this unit, I am collaborating with marine scientists on a survey study among marine science and social scientists working in interdisciplinary research in the context of Japan. I am also developing a pilot project that investigates Okinawan fishery communities' ideas and experiences regarding climate change, its socio-cultural impact, and its impact on the well-being of communities and coastal areas. Travelled to more than fifty countries and did extensive ethnographic fieldwork in Europe, Africa, South America, and East Asia on gender, indigenous knowledge, coping with crisis and well-being.

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Michael Izumiyama, Graduate Student
michael.izumiyama at oist.jp

Twitter @ravasi_lab

I graduated from San Francisco State University with my MSc in Marine Biology, where I looked at the reproductive strategy of surfperches, a unique family of fishes that give live birth. Fishes have always had a special place in my heart, and I am particularly interested in evolution and speciation in fishes. My hobbies are diving, swimming, and fishing, but I also enjoy time outside of the water and love a good laugh!

 

Billy Moore, Graduate Student
billy.moore at oist.jp

Twitter @ravasi_lab

I completed an undergraduate degree at Swansea University, before graduating from the University of Essex with an MSc in Tropical Marine Biology. During my studies I completed internships at the University of Western Australia and The Observatoire Oceanologique de Villefranche, where I investigated the effects of ocean acidification on coral and coralline algae from extreme environments. I am now a first year PhD student in the Ravasi Unit where I will investigate the impacts of environmental change on coral reef fish. I love all sports, the ocean and exploring new exciting places, making Okinawa the perfect place for me!

Ayşe Haruka Oshima Açıkbaş , Graduate Student
AyseHaruka.Oshima at oist.jp

Twitter @ac_haruka

I completed my undergraduate studies in Biological Sciences at Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar, where I investigated putative cis-regulatory modules for skeletonization in sea urchins and the markers of cancer-associated fibroblasts. Now as a PhD candidate doing marine biology for the first time, I would like to study the tropicalization phenomenon in Japan and its impact on the biodiversity using eDNA methods. I absolutely love the sea here and enjoy exploring, playing the piano and talking to my parakeet Fıstık.

 

Callum Hudson, Graduate Student
callum.hudson at oist.jp

Twitter @ravasi_lab

Born and raised in Cornwall, UK, I have long-loved all things marine, be it surfing, diving, or tide-pooling. I completed an undergraduate degree in Biological Sciences at the University of Oxford, before graduating with an MRes in Marine Biology from the University of Plymouth. My thesis utilized a natural, volcanic CO2 seep in Japan to study the impacts of ocean acidification and typhoons on the stability of marine communities. With the help of the Ravasi Unit my PhD investigates how sea urchins respond to global change, using natural analogues for future ocean conditions to understand the implications their shifting functional role as algal grazers has on the wider ecosystem.

Alexandru Mihai, Research Unit Bioinformatics Technician
alexandru.mihai at oist.jp

Twitter @ravasi_lab

I grew up in the United States, but I’m a Romanian citizen. I hold a Bachelor’s degree in pure mathematics from Jacobs University in Bremen, Germany, where I participated in research at Fraunhofer MEVIS. There, I implemented two and three-dimensional models in C++ to produce an efficient and accurate portrait of blood flow dynamics. I completed my Ph.D. in the Mechanics and Materials Unit at OIST. My thesis focused on modeling soap-film-mediated self-assembly systems. Currently, I work as a data science technician in the Marine Climate Change Unit. In my free time, I enjoy exploring all Okinawa has to offer (particularly looking out for new cafes).

Roger Huerlimann, Postdoctoral Scholar
roger.huerlimann at oist.jp

Twitter @RogerHuerlimann

Roger Huerlimann is a post-doctoral researcher in the Marine Climate Change Unit. Before joining OIST, Roger completed a PhD at James Cook University (JCU) in Australia, and spent the next five years there working as a post-doc in the Center for Sustainable Tropical Fisheries and Aquaculture and the Centre for Tropical Water and Aquatic Ecosystem Research (TropWATER). During this time, Roger worked on several commercial important aquaculture (barramundi, black tiger prawn, and silver lipped pearl oyster) and fisheries species (coral trouts), as well as other marine species (green sea turtles, hammerhead sharks and sawfish). Roger has extensive experience in carrying out and supervising molecular biology and genomics related research from the laboratory through to completing all required bioinformatic analyses. This includes sequencing, assembly and annotation of genomes and transcriptomes, metabarcoding (bacterial 16S, fungal ITS, eukaryotic 12S or COI), viral/bacterial metagenomics and eDNA research (field, lab and analysis protocols).

Tae Woo Ryu, Research Unit Group Leader
taewoo.ryu2 at oist.jp

Twitter @ravasi_lab

I majored in Genomics and completed my PhD at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST). After fell in love with coral reef and tropical fish, I have devoted myself to investigate how the coral reef creatures have evolved and respond to a rapid changing environments. As a Group Leader of Marine Climate Change Unit, I'm working on the front line of climate change biology to learn how tropical fish (especially fish of the Ryukyu Islands) behave and acclimate by ocean warming.

 

Tae Woo Ryu, Research Unit Group Leader
taewoo.ryu2 at oist.jp

Twitter @ravasi_lab

I majored in Genomics and completed my PhD at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST). After fell in love with coral reef and tropical fish, I have devoted myself to investigate how the coral reef creatures have evolved and respond to a rapid changing environments. As a Group Leader of Marine Climate Change Unit, I'm working on the front line of climate change biology to learn how tropical fish (especially fish of the Ryukyu Islands) behave and acclimate by ocean warming.

 

Yoko Shintani, Research Unit Administrator
yoko.shintani at oist.jp

Twitter @yoko_the_ocean

I joined OIST in April 2018 coming from working in scientific publishing at Nature Japan in Tokyo. My role at the Marine Climate Change Unit is to provide administrative support to Prof. Timothy Ravasi and the other unit members, helping them to smoothly reach their research goals. I'm truly delighted to work close to marine scientists while embracing the stanning marine environment surrounding Okinawa and the Ryukyu archipelago. My passions are the ocean and Wushu.

Erina Kawai, Research Unit Scientific Diver
erina.kawai at oist.jp

Twitter @aroeriiiiina

I graduated from the University of Ryukyu with an MSc in Marine Biology. My main jobs at the Marine Climate Change Unit are, 1) assit all unit's members with field work and fish collection in Japan and around the world and 2) to make coworkers smile. I love the sea, scuba diving, dogs, sweets and Okinawa.

 

Nicolas Dierckxsens, Interdisciplinary Postdoctoral Fellow
nicolas.dierckxsens at oist.jp

Twitter @ravasi_lab

I am a computational biologist from Belgium, who is specialized in the development of new tools for genetic research. During my PhD in Brussels, I developed a new organelle assembler, called NOVOPlasty, which became one of the most popular assembly tools. After my PhD, I worked for 4 years as a postdoctoral researcher in university hospitals (Guangzhou and Leuven) on the detection of disease-causing variants. My passion for nature and wildlife brought me to Okinawa to study the marine life around this beautiful island. I will be an interdisciplinary postdoc between the Marine Climate Change unit of Prof. Ravasi and the Genomics and Regulatory Systems unit of Prof. Luscombe. In my free time, I love to do sports and hopefully I will be able to learn to dive during my stay on Okinawa.

Kaisar Dauyey, Special Research Student
Kaisar.Dauyey at oist.jp

Twitter @ravasi_lab

My passion for ocean and research on climate change comes from experiences around the world. I've spend several months working on computational neuroscience in Lausanne, Switzerland as well as studying photoacoustics in Cambridge, UK and stem cell biology in Tsukuba, Japan during my undergraduate years at Nazarbayev University (NU) in Kazakhstan. I've then jumped into my graduate medical degree at NU School of Medicine. As part of my research training I've completed several internships in University of Queensland working on computational biology of autoimmune diseases in elderly and children. I've then enrolled in a PhD course at the SOKENDAI University, Department of Genetics in 2019 studying ancient human genomes as well single-cell RNA-sequencing in zebrafish. My current work is focused on understanding of genomic changes in tropical fish in response to ocean warming.

Shannon McMahon, Postdoctoral Scholar
Shannon.Mcmahon at oist.jp

Twitter @ShannonJMcMahon

Hailing from the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney, I grew up fascinated with the Ocean and each trip to the beach was spent exploring rock pools, digging through the intertidal zones, and surfing. However, it wasn’t until after completing a bachelors in communication, and travelling abroad, that I realized I wanted to help understand and protect our oceans. This led me to James Cook University. During undergrad I became drawn to research on the future challenge our oceans may face. This resulted in me undertaking Honours by research (2016) with Prof. Philip Munday & Dr Jennifer Donelson, where I investigated the effects of CO2 and feed levels on the growth and behaviour of clownfish. Following this I went on to complete my PhD (2021) focusing on the effects of marine heat waves on the growth and physiology of reef mesopredators under the supervision of Dr. Jennifer Donelson & Prof. Philip Munday. Now having arrived at OIST (2022) in the Marine Climate Change Unit, I am excited to continue researching the effects of climate change on reef fish.