Lab Members

Professor of Marine & Environmental Biology, Principal Investigator

Email: dahutch@usc.edu

David A. Hutchins has been a Professor of Marine and Environmental Biology at the University of Southern California since 2007, where he holds the George and Louise Kawamoto Chair in Biological Sciences. He got his Ph.D. in 1994 at U.C. Santa Cruz, did a postdoc from 1994-1996 at SUNY Stony Brook, and was on the faculty at U. Delaware from 1996-2007. He has mentored 10 postdoctoral scholars, 20 Ph.D students and 9 M.S. students, and has published over 230 peer-reviewed papers, including many in high-profile journals such as Nature, Science and PNAS. Hutchins is an elected Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and a Sustaining Fellow of the Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography (ASLO). Other honors include receiving the U.S. National Science Foundation Antarctic Service Medal (2011) and the ASLO John Martin Award for publishing highly influential research in the marine science field (2023).

Professor of Marine & Environmental Biology, Principal Investigator

Email: ffu@usc.edu

My major research emphasis is on the responses of marine phytoplankton physiology and community structure to environmental change. My particular expertise is in the field of marine biogeochemistry, including the cycles of carbon, nitrogen, and iron in the ocean. One important focus of my work in recent years has been on the impacts of anthropogenic global change on these processes. Currently, human burning of fossil fuels is leading to global warming and ocean acidification, with potentially far-reaching consequences for the physiology of many algal groups, including altered growth and carbon fixation rates, N2 fixation rates, shifts in nutrient uptake, and changes in elemental ratios. These physiological responses may be reflected at the ecosystem level through changes in algal competitive interactions, ecological dominance, and overall community structure.

PhD Student, Marine & Environmental Biology

Email: duanran@usc.edu

I have both a B.S. and an M.S. in Marine Biology. My research focuses on how marine phytoplankton adapt to interacting environmental stressors, including ocean warming and iron or phosphorus limitation, by integrating laboratory culturing, multi‑omics approaches (transcriptomics, proteomics, metallomics), and long‑term experimental evolution. I’m interested in exploring the physiological and molecular mechanisms that influence phytoplankton resilience and their implications for ocean biogeochemistry

PhD Student, Marine Chemistry

Email: yutongc@usc.edu

I graduated with a B.S. in Ocean Sciences from Xiamen University in 2022. At USC, my research focuses on how changes in nutrient supply affect the thermal performance and plasticity of marine phytoplankton and how these physiological shifts impact their ecological niches and significance in natural environments.

PhD Student, Marine & Environmental Biology

Email: mackett@usc.edu

I am originally from Atlanta, Georgia, where I completed my B.S. in Biology at the University of Georgia. At USC, I investigate how climate change influences harmful algal blooms (HABs). By using lab experiments I aim to improve our understanding of how climate-driven changes may intensify the frequency, severity, and ecological impact of HABs in the future.

Undergraduate Researcher

Email: lsadi@usc.edu

Undergraduate Researcher

Email: bk_437@usc.edu

I am a rising senior at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, pursuing a B.S. in Environmental Biology. As an undergraduate intern in the Hutchins Lab through the USC Wrigley Summer REU program, I am investigating the unusually early harmful algal bloom that occurred in February 2025, focusing on how the January wildfires may have influenced Pseudo-nitzschia dynamics and other diatom communities.

Undergraduate Researcher

Email: p4gurgenyan@gmail.com

Researcher

Email: rc19906@usc.edu

I received my B.S. in Biology from California State University, Los Angeles in 2022. Since then, I have contributed to research at Vesta, Hourglass, and the J. Craig Venter Institute (JCVI), where I focused on applying bioinformatics to study marine microbial communities. My research interests center on leveraging computational tools to understand the ecological and functional roles of microorganisms in ocean systems. At USC, I plan to explore the relationship between nitrogen-fixing microbes and environmental variability, with an emphasis on how these interactions influence our ocean’s biogeochemical pump. Outside of research, I enjoy playing music and video games.

High School Intern

Email: tkrikorian27@students.polytechnic.org

I am a 16-year-old junior at Polytechnic School in Pasadena with a strong interest in biology, especially how environmental changes affect marine life. My research focuses on how temperature and nutrient shifts influence the physiology and nitrogen-fixing ability of Trichodesmium. I also designed and built the Hutchins Lab website to help share our research and connect with the broader science community.

High School Intern

Email: hutchinslucas19@gmail.com

I am a 15-year-old high school student, born and raised in Los Angeles. I enjoy swimming, surfing, hanging out with friends, and listening to music. Recently I have been a part of multiple experiments regarding the effects of nutrient availability and warming on the physiology of Trichodesmium, including one project I presented at the 75th Los Angeles County Science and Engineering Fair.