The Hansel Lab Team

Colleen Hansel

Senior Scientist

Colleen earned a BS in Geology from California State University, Sacramento, an MS in Soil Chemistry from University of Idaho, and PhD in Biogeochemistry from Stanford University. Colleen is interested in the relationship between geochemistry and organismal health. Outside of work, she spends time with her three rambunctious daughters, dog, and 6 chickens, and sails with her family (minus the dog and chickens) in the beautiful waters surrounding Cape Cod.

Eric Ryberg

Postodoctoral Scholar

Eric received his BA in Earth & Planetary Sciences and Chemistry from the Johns Hopkins University, and he earned his PhD in Environmental Engineering at Yale University. In research, he is interested in environmental photochemistry in both natural and engineered systems, with applications ranging from element cycling to human health. In his free time, Eric can be found running on Shining Sea Bikeway, enjoying craft beer with friends, and exploring the picturesque coastal towns of Massachusetts.

Lina Taenzer

MIT-WHOI JP Student

Lina earned a BS in Earth Sciences and Environmental Studies from Jacobs University in Bremen, Germany, and an MS in Earth Sciences from Dartmouth College. She began her PhD in the MIT-WHOI Joint Program in 2019. Lina is particularly interested in examining chemical interactions and fingerprints of biological stress and their relation to climate change. In her free time she loves to hike and swim, and find new ice cream places.

Kate Lane

MIT-WHOI JP Student

Katherine (Kate) Lane researches marine microbes using chemical, molecular, genetic, and computational tools in Dr. Colleen Hansel’s Lab. She is an NSF-GRFP Fellow and started her PhD in the MIT / WHOI Joint Program in 2021. Kate received her M.Sc. degree in Population Biology from UC Davis in Prof. Jonathan Eisen's Lab, worked as computational staff in Prof. Jill Banfield's Lab at UC Berkeley, and completed her BA in Biology at Macalester College. Outside of the lab, Kate likes climbing, ceramics, and classical music. Website: www. katelane.net, LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kate-lane/, GoogleScholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=M8VrIVgAAAAJ&hl=en, Twitter: @katethecurious.

Erica Herrera

MIT-WHOI JP Student

Erica obtained a BS in Animal Science from New Mexico State University and studied Chemistry and Mathematics at the University of Texas at El Paso. She began her PhD in JP in 2020 and is fascinated by the impacts of trace metal biogeochemistry on large scale ocean dynamics and how these dynamics will respond to a changing climate. She is currently working to understand how chemical processes occurring at the seafloor affect the weathering of hydrothermal metal-sulfide deposits. When she isn’t pondering the mysteries of the deep sea, you can find her playing clarinet as a member of the MIT Wind Ensemble, practicing applied chemistry in the form of baking, or reading fantastical novels about other worlds while she cuddles with her two dogs, Eiyla and Calypso.

Jenn Necker

MIT-WHOI JP Student

Jenn earned her BS from Eckerd College in Marine Science in 2021 before starting in the MIT/WHOI Joint Program in 2022. Jenn is broadly interested in trace metal cycling in the environment with particular interest in microbial controls, hydrothermal vents, and trace metal uptake by organisms. When not in the lab or at sea, Jenn enjoys any water based activities, traveling, puzzling, reading, cooking, and spending time with her English Setters.