Emily R. Paris

Emily is a PhD candidate in the Dekas Lab at Stanford University. She earned her Bachelor's degree in Biochemistry & Cell Biology (minor: Marine Sciences) from UC San Diego in 2020 where she worked to develop a new technique for isolating previously unculturable marine microbes that could be used in pharmaceutical development (Moore Lab, Scripps Institution of Oceanography). Now her research is based on culture-independent techniques, including stable isotope probing, gene sequencing, and single-cell analyses like nanoSIMS, microscopy, and flow cytometry. Emily has completed 5 research cruises and 2 land-based field expeditions since 2018. Two of these field projects included snorkeling with orcas above the Arctic circle to record their bioacoustic and behavioral patterns and sampling Mars-analogue acidic brine lakes in Western Australia to look for signs of extreme microbial life (Oceans Across Space and Time, OAST).

Emily enjoys teaching and mentoring: At UC San Diego she worked as a STEAM instructor for the Sally Ride Science Academy's Library NExT program where she designed free science workshops for elementary and middle school students. Since 2021 she has mentored three Stanford undergraduates through the Women in STEM program at the Women's Community Center and has tutored 5+ students in a range of subjects from math to organic chemistry. Emily shares her research experiences annually with high schoolers around the country as a volunteer scientist for Skype a Scientist.