Nanushka Mia Bonano-Collazo

Nanushka Mia Bonano-Collazo is from Cataño, Puerto Rico’s smallest coastal town. She earned her M.Sc. in Microbiology and Molecular Diagnostics from the Inter-American University of Puerto Rico, Metropolitan Campus, in May 2024. There, she worked with Dr. Natasha I. DeLeón-Rodríguez to characterize microbial communities in Puerto Rico’s bioluminescent bays. She's a first-generation and first-year PhD student under the mentorship of Dr. Tsvetan Bachvaroff and Dr. Eric Schott. Her research focuses on the ecology of HABs, especially strains of Karenia brevis in the southeastern U.S., where these toxins increasingly affect shellfish cultivation and fisheries. After graduation, Nanushka aims to become a mentor, professor, and researcher in marine microbial ecology.