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Group Members

Mak A. Saito

Principal Investigator

Senior Scientist and Stanley Watson Chair
PI for Biological and Chemical Oceanography Data Management Office
Marine Chemistry & Geochemistry
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Watson Biogeochemistry Building 123, MS#51
Woods Hole, MA 02543
(508) 289-2393
msaito@whoi.edu
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» CV (pdf)

Matt McIlvin

Research Specialist 

Marine Chemistry & Geochemistry
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
266 Woods Hole Rd. MS# 51
Woods Hole, MA 02543
(508) 289-2884
mmcilvin@whoi.edu

Paloma Lopez

Research Associate II

Marine Chemistry & Geochemistry
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Watson Building, MS#51
Woods Hole, MA 02543

paloma.lopez@whoi.edu

Emily Burdige

Joint Program Student

Emily is a graduate student in the Saito lab and is co-advised by Adam Subhas. She grew up near Virginia Beach and completed her undergraduate degree at James Madison University majoring in Chemistry with a minor in math. Her project within Mak and Adam’s labs focuses on understanding how to couple enzymatic kinetic and proteomic measurements of Carbonic Anhydrase, which plays an important role in phytoplankton's inorganic carbon acquisition and storage. In her free time she enjoys reading, painting, dog-sitting, and exploring local coffee shops. She is a student representative on CDEI, a writer for Through the Porthole, and a mentor with JP ASK.

Annaliese Meyer

Joint Program Student

Marine Chemistry & Geochemistry
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Watson Building, MS#51
Woods Hole, MA 02543
(508) 289-8484
anmeyer@whoi.edu

Dominique Kelly

C-COMP Post-Bac 

I am a post-baccalaureate fellow under the Center for Chemical Currencies of a Microbial Planet at WHOI. I graduated from Smith College with a degree in Environmental Sciences & Policy. My research focus lies in studying the impact of iron and cobalt in phosphatase enzymes in strains of the cyanobacterium Prochlorococcus marinus. I utilize culturing and proteomics to further understand the role of phosphorus in Prochlorococcus and the broader microbial community. Outside of research, I enjoy caring for pets and playing the Nintendo switch.

Viktoria Steck

Post-Doctoral Investigator  

Marine Chemistry & Geochemistry
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Watson Building, MS#51
Woods Hole, MA 02543
viktoria.steck@whoi.edu

 

Fadime Stemmer

Joint Program Student 

Fadime is a graduate student in the Saito lab. She obtained her Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry at the Technical University of Munich with a specialization in structural biology and protein biochemistry. At the same time, she was involved in a university project aimed at  developing a scalable Direct Air Capture and Storage Technology. Her interest in environmental science, biochemistry, and biophysics eventually led her to pursue a PhD in Chemical Oceanography at MIT and WHOI. Within Mak Saito's lab she aims to uncover proteolytic breakdown of organic matter and its contribution to carbon and metal cycling in the ocean. Growing up in southern Germany near the Alps, she enjoys outdoor activities such as hiking, swimming and winter sports. Additionally she likes to do Taekwondo, study languages (currently Japanese and Turkish), play the Saxophone and listen to music.

Ichiko Sugiyama

Post-Doctoral Fellow

Marine Chemistry & Geochemistry
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Watson Building, MS#51
Woods Hole, MA 02543
ichiko.sugiyama@whoi.edu

Loay Jabre

Postdoc Investigator

Before starting my postdoc at WHOI, I completed my PhD at Dalhousie University where I studied how changes in temperature and trace metal availability influence phytoplankton growth. Currently in the Saito Lab, I am studying the spatial distribution of proteins within phytoplankton cells and hope to use this protein 'landscape' to gain insights into protein function and subcellular trace metal dynamics. I am also working on a collaborative CCOMP project with the Kujawinski Lab, where we are integrating various 'omics methods to examine cell biology across a diverse range of phytoplankton taxa. Outside the lab, you can find me foraging, fishing, or cooking.

Annie Stefanides

Research Assistant III

Annie Stefanides is a Research Assistant III in the Saito Lab. A native of the Pacific Northwest, she received her Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from Whitman College. It was during her undergraduate thesis work that she discovered her passion for the intersectionality and enigmas of environmental metalloenzymatic research. Currently, she is contributing to both the Saito Lab research and GEOTRACES program by studying cobalt biogeochemical cycling in the Southern Ocean as well as collecting proteomic samples for metaproteomic analysis in phytoplankton. As an avid lover of the outdoors, oceanographic fieldwork, hiking, nordic skiing, and beach time are a few of the activities she loves to do outside of the lab. She also loves puzzling… jigsaw, sudoku, NYT crosswords, especially if there’s coffee or wine involved!

Summer 2022
Saito Lab May 2018
Lab photo in summer of 2017
Lab lunch with the John Waterbury and Freddi Valois in 2016
Saito Lab June 2015 (Mary Zawoysky)
Saito Lab 2013
Saito Lab 2005 (Galapagos)