Student Blogs & Vignettes

Alicia Hoeglund

ABOUT MY RESEARCH

Ever go to the beach and experience respiratory irritation and/or see dead marine life? If so, you’ve likely interacted with my study organism, Karenia brevis, aka Florida Red Tide. I have spent the last 6 years studying this species and closely related species ofthe same genus while working at the Fish and Wildlife Research Institute (FWC-FWRI) right next door to CMS. My work has focused primarily on new technologies that arebeing developed to detect and quantifyK. brevis, including field-based genetic detection and field-based microscopic detection. For my graduate work I am hoping to continue these studies while also divingdeeper into genetic techniqueswhile working with Mya Breitbart and Kate Hubbard (FWRI).

WHY USF CMS?

I have been involved with USF-CMS in some capacity since my very first day as a scientist at FWC-FWRI and I am so excited to now be a formal member of the college working towards my master’s degree. I chose to go to CMS because partially because of this prolonged connection, but also because the professors truly care about the students here and their research is top notch.