Carolyn Waterbury
Sanford, North Carolina, United States
of America
Research contractor at the Environmental
Protection Agency
Experience
ORAU
National Student Service
Contractor / November, 2022 —
Present
I work with Dr. Leah Wehmas at
the Environmental Protection
Agency in Research Triangle
Park, NC on a variety of
molecular research projects. I
used Partek and BMDExpress to
analyze RNA-seq datasets and
identify transcriptomic points
of departure. This data helps
to inform risk assessment on a
variety of chemicals we were
testing, including PFAS.
Additionally, I am assisting
in a kainic acid and
triethyltin bromide dosing
experiment with rats to
determine if cerebral spinal
fluid could be used as a
biomarker for brain damage
through analysis of specific
proteins. I am responsible for
daily laboratory maintenance
in addition to creating and
preparing all chemicals,
reagents, and supplies used
for research purposes.
University of Alaska
Fairbanks
Graduate Research
Assistant / August, 2019 —
August, 2022
I received my M.S. in
fisheries as a graduate
research assistant. I was the
lead researcher on a 3-month
long fish sampling project in
Prudhoe Bay, AK during 2020
and 2021. This project used
fyke nets to quantify and
qualify the fish species
within the nearshore Prudhoe
Bay environment in order to
determine how species
composition and abundance were
shifting in relation to
climate change. For my thesis
work, I was interested in
determining how acclimation
temperature affected
organismal and molecular
thermotolerance parameters in
two fish species. I collected
live fish samples and
maintained them in a
recirculating aquaculture
system. I determined the CTmax
temperatures for each sample
before quantifying the HSP70
protein concentration in three
tissue types using Western
Blotting protocol. I then
analyzed a full transcriptome
dataset using Salmon to
quantify the HSP70 mRNA
transcript concentrations in
two tissue types. All results
were published in the journal
Conservation Physiology.
Research Assistant / May, 2019 —
August, 2019
I assisted in a variety of
scientific projects occurring
in Dr. Trent Sutton's lab. I
participated in an Arctic cod
eDNA project where we
collected water samples from
Prudhoe Bay, AK for eDNA
analysis using custom primers
I helped develop to detect the
presence or absence of Arctic
cod. I also assisted in a
lamprey field sampling project
where we spent 5 days using
electrofishing to collect live
adult and ammocoete samples in
addition to collecting water
samples for eDNA analysis. I
filtered, collected, and
extracted DNA from these water
samples for future research.
Finally, I assisted a graduate
student in a capelin fecundity
project.
University of Miami
Chemistry Lab
Assistant / August, 2015 —
May, 2019
I assisted in setting up and
maintaining all undergraduate
organic and inorganic
chemistry labs. I had to
prepare all necessary reagents
and solutions using chemistry
principles, including serial
dilutions and stoichiometry.
When preparing these reagents,
I had to handle a variety of
chemicals using proper lab
safety protocol. Finally, I
set up and maintained all lab
equipment including, but not
limited to, pH meters,
titration equipment, and
balances.
Shark Research and
Conservation Lab
Intern / August, 2018 —
May, 2019
I interned in the Shark
Research and Conservation Lab
where I participated in
research cruises that used
modified longlines to sample
live sharks around the Miami
area. When working up a shark,
I collected morphological
measurements, caudal vein
blood samples, muscle biopsy
samples, and I helped tag the
shark using a floy tag. We
worked with citizen scientists
who assisted us during the
cruise, and I helped to
explain the scientific
procedure in addition to how
the science would help with
shark conservation. Finally, I
wrote several blogs describing
current aquatic conservation
research that was occurring
and why it was important.
National Science Foundation
REU Intern / June, 2017 —
August, 2017
My research during looked to
see what environmental
parameters caused certain
strains of Heterosigma
akashiwo to bloom in hopes of
determining what conditions
might cause harmful algal
blooms. I ran toxicity and
photophysiology experiments on
six strains of H. akashiwo.
Additionally, I collected
water samples from algal
blooms containing H. akashiwo,
which I cultured in a variety
of salinities. With these
samples, I extracted H.
akashiwo DNA and ran PCR
reactions in order to quantify
fragment sizes as a proxy for
genetic differences driven by
the unique salinity
conditions. Finally, I used
prior-collected single strand
isolates and ran PCR reactions
to produce fragments to be
sent in for sequencing. Before
experiments began, I performed
cell counts under a microscope
using a hemocytometer. All
experiments required extensive
pipetting and practicing
aseptic techniques in a fume
hood to avoid
cross-contamination.
NOAA
Ernest F. Hollings
Intern / May, 2017 —
August, 2018
My research here analyzed the
stomach contents of silky
shark in order to determine
their diet preferences. I
identified stomach contents
down to at least the genera
before analyzing the data in R
to quantify novel diet
information. I drafted a
research paper before
presenting a poster at the
2018 Ernest F. Hollings NOAA
research conference and an
oral presentation at the 2019
Association for the Sciences
of Limnology and Oceanography
(ASLO) Aquatic Science
meeting. During this
internship, I also assisted in
field research projects
collecting sharks and other
live fish around Panama City
Beach, FL using gill nets in
addition to a smalltooth
sawfish tagging project in the
Everglades. Finally, I
assisted in sectioning and
cleaning vertebrate samples
for future aging analysis.
Research Expertise
Beaufort Sea Nearshore Monitoring
Project
climate change
heat-shock protein analysis
About
I am an experienced research assistant
and data analyst with 10 years of
professional research experience
either working in a molecular lab or
in an outdoor environment collecting
data. I have 7 years of
fisheries-based research experience
either collecting samples in the field
and maintaining large fisheries’
databases or working in a lab-based
setting analyzing samples. I am
skilled in statistical analysis with 9
years of experience running in-depth
analysis in R. Currently, I am working
at the Environmental Protection Agency
assisting with toxicology exposure
experiments using in vivo and in vitro
models.