Our Team
Principle Investigators
Dr. Joaquim Goes
After finishing his Master’s degree in 1992 at the University of Bombay in India, Joaquim was offered a Doctoral fellowship by the Japanese Ministry of Education and he moved to Nagoya University, Japan. Clueless in a pre-internet age, he dived headlong into a new culture and language, and loved every bit of it from the sashimi and onsen to kanji.
Dr. Helga do Rosario Gomes
Helga do Rosario Gomes (Maria Fatima Helga do Rosario Gomes) is from the state of Goa in India, famous for its beautiful beaches so it’s inevitable that she was drawn to oceanography from a young age. She graduated with a Ph.D. in Biological Oceanography from Bombay University and after research positions in Japan and in Maine, she has been a Research Scientist at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Columbia Climate School from 2010 onwards.
Dr. Jinghui Wu
Jinghui Wu is an optical oceanographer specializing in ocean optics and ocean color remote sensing. Her work centers on bio-optical modeling, inversion algorithm development, radiative transfer simulations, and field radiometry with strong quality control standards. Her recent research focuses on modeling phytoplankton physiology and productivity, estimating euphotic depth, and developing hyperspectral algorithms to map phytoplankton biodiversity and functional types.
Cody O'Ferrall
Cody O'Ferrall, is a research assistant at the Goes-Gomes Lab. He holds an M.S. in Mechanical Engineering with a concentration in Robotics from Columbia University. His current research focuses on autonomous environmental monitoring, particularly the development of low-cost robotic platforms for the detection and spatial mapping of harmful algal blooms. He leads the engineering and early-stage commercialization of AQUAS, an autonomous surface vehicle that integrates environmental sensing and onboard microscopy.
Celina Gong
Celina is a graduate student in the M.S. in Climate program at Columbia Climate School, where she studies ocean–climate interactions. She earned her undergraduate degree in Marine Science with a focus on physical oceanography and has contributed to ocean and climate research initiatives with international organizations in Peru and China. Her work examines how ocean dynamics influence marine ecosystems and biogeochemical processes using satellite and oceanographic data.
Henrique Schmitz
Henrique Schmitz, is from southern Brazil, where he earned his undergraduate degree in Control and Automation Engineering. He worked for several years at SAP as a software developer and data scientist before moving to New York to join Columbia University’s MSDS Class of 2025–2026. At the Goes-Gomes Lab, he is working on integrating multi and hypserspectral data.
Xiao Wen
Xiao Wen is a student in the Master of Science in Data Science program at Columbia Engineering. She earned her undergraduate degree in Mathematics with a minor in Computer Science and is interested in algorithms and optimization methods, particularly their applications in operations research and data-driven problem solving.
Xiwen (Gia) Wu
Xiwen (Gia) Wu is a research assistant. She holds a B.S. in Marine Science with a concentration in Marine Biology from the University of Florida and an M.P.H. in Biostatistics from Columbia University, along with a Certificate in Advanced Epidemiology. Her current research focuses on algal physiology, particularly investigating algal growth byproducts and pigment composition. She also analyzes water column and nutrient datasets to develop visualizations for both the public and research.
Adityaram Komaraneni
Adityaram Komaraneni, originally from Hyderabad, India, is an M.S. in Data Science student at Columbia University and a researcher at LDEO. In the Goes-Gome Lab, he develops the Automated AI-driven Phytoplankton Classification System (CAPCS), creating ML workflows for microscopy image classification using convolutional neural networks for real-time ocean monitoring. Outside of research, he enjoys music and late-night coding sessions at coffee spots near campus.
Dennis Deng
Dennis Deng is a master’s student in the School of Engineering at Columbia University. At Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, he conducted research on PET catalytic depolymerization in Dr. Goes’s laboratory, exploring pathways to translate this work into practical applications in civil engineering materials.
Yeshitha Bhuvanesh
Yeshitha Bhuvanesh is a Master’s student in Computer Science at Columbia University and previously worked as a Software Engineer at Juniper Networks. Her background combines systems programming in C/C++ and Linux with applied machine learning and deep learning. She is currently a Research Assistant at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, where she develops supervised and deep learning models to classify phytoplankton species. Her interests include hardware–software co-design and high-performance machine learning, with a focus on building efficient, scalable systems that optimize both model performance and computational efficiency.
ALUMNI FROM DATA SCIENCE INSTITUTE, COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY
Anushka Agarwal
Anushka Agarwal earned her Master’s degree in Computer Science from Columbia University, specializing in Machine Learning and Computer Vision. At the Goes-Gomes Lab, she developed deep learning pipelines for phytoplankton microscopy analysis, helping automate image processing and reduce manual workload for researchers. She is currently working as a Backend Engineer at an AI startup in New York.
Annika Hsi
Annika Hsi completed her M.S. in Data Science program and is transitioning into her Ph.D. with the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences. At the Goes-Gomes Lab she worked on developing image processing models to categorize phytoplankton. Her research interests range from livestock-wildlife interactions to harmful algal blooms, with an emphasis on methods from data science and remote sensing.
Anxhela Mile
UNDERGRADUATE ALUMNI
Anxhela Mile, interned at the Goes-Gomes Lab in 2016, studying the dual feeding behavior of the mixotroph Noctiluca scintillans. She graduated with a B.S. in Environmental Geoscience and International Studies from Boston College.and later earned her Juris Doctor, cum laude, from the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University, with specialty certificates in environmental and international law, and an LL.M., summa cum laude, in Global Environmental Law. Anxhela is now an environmental and energy attorney focused on climate solutions, including the permitting and siting of renewable energy projects. She is admitted to practice in Massachusetts and New York.
Joe Zeno
Joe Zeno, was part of the LDEO summer NSF-funded REU in 2023, where he researched the effects ocean acidification has on marine phytoplankton populations along the U.S East Coast. He recently graduated from the University of Maine with a B.S in Botany and Ecology, and interested in urban ecology research.
Sarina Malik
Sarina Malik, a student at Barnard College, studying Environmental Science and Sustainability and dance worked on the Goes-Gomes Lab’s website and outreach initiatives, helping communicate climate change science and its impacts on vulnerable ecosystems and coastal communities.
Christy Jenkins
Christy Jenkins, Columbia University ’17, interned at the Goes-Gomes Lab for 2 semesters where she worked on validating NOAA’s VIIRS ocean color satellite products and mapping phytoplankton functional types along the east coast of the USA. But her career path took a different turn and she’s now the Executive Pastry Chef at L’Artusi where she leads a team of seven. She also co-owns Bar Fiasco, a cozy craft beer and wine spot in Hamilton Heights with her husband Evan.
Rebecca Miller
Rebecca Miller, one of the first two interns in the Goes–Gomes Lab, was an undergraduate at Yale University when she developed an empirical model using ocean color satellite radiometry to detect Noctiluca scintillans blooms in the Arabian Sea. She is now a Curriculum Development Specialist in Science at New Visions for Public Schools, where she updates Biology and Earth & Space Science curricula and develops resources for educators across New York City and beyond. She focuses on expanding access to high-quality instructional materials and fostering student confidence and belonging in STEM, bringing a systems-level perspective to science education.
HIGH SCHOOL ALUMNI
Mira Agarwal
Mira Agarwal is a sophomore at The Brearley School in New York City She worked in the Goes–Gomes Lab in summer 2025, investigating natural, non-toxic approaches to identify effective and scalable treatments for harmful Microcystis blooms in local ponds. Outside of science, she is active in theater and the arts and has been a member of the Metropolitan Opera Children’s Chorus for seven years, performing in over 100 productions at Lincoln Center, including La Bohème, Tosca, Carmen, and Turandot.
Alisa D’Souza
Alisa D’Souza, a student from Peekskill High School interned at the Goes-Gomes, studying the behavior of Noctiluca scintillans to various environmental conditions. Her research contributed to understanding harmful algal blooms and their impact on marine ecosystems. She recently graduated in Environmental Sciences from Stony Brook University.
Aviva Schwarz
Aviva Schwarz, a former student of Bronx High School of Science, interned in the Gomes-Goes Lab on prolects related to climate change mitigation.. She later graduated from Princeton University’s School of Public and International Affairs (Class of 2025), focusing on intelligence policy and Middle East national security, and is now a Fulbright Fellow and Master’s student in Security and Diplomacy Studies at Tel Aviv University.
Christina Yan
Christina Yan, is a biochemistry student at Columbia University with interests in environmental chemistry and translational biomedical science. As a summer intern at in the Goes-Gomes Lab, she studied carbon-driven algal blooms and chemical and enzymatic degradation of PET microplastics. She now conducts metabolomics and gene sequencing research on breast cancer risk at Columbia University Irving Medical Center.
Julian Jacobs
Marwa Al Azri is an undergraduate neurosciences student at Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, Australia. As a research intern at the Goes-Gomes Lab, she investigated eco-friendly enzymatic methods to degrade household plastics for potential use in laundry systems and plastic processing facilities. The experience strengthened her laboratory skills and reinforced her interest in sustainable, biologically based solutions to environmental challenges
Tegan Fung
Tegan Fung, DO, was a senior at the Bronx High School of Science, when she spent two summers at Goes_Gomes Lab studying the effects of high CO₂ on phytoplankton to better understand the impacts of ocean acidification. She recently earned her DO degree from Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine and is currently an Emergency Medicine resident. . She is especially interested in how climate-driven events shape emergency care and health disparities. Her professional interests include medical education and toxicology, with a long-term goal of advocating for resilient, equitable health systems in a changing world.
Ahren Alberto
Ahren Alberto, a student from the West Essex High School in 2020 interned at the Goes-Gomes studying the impacts of low oxygen on Noctiluca scintillans blooms at the Goes-Gomes Lab. He has earned a Biochemistry and Biophysics degree from the University of Pennsylvania, along with a Master’s in Chemistry, studying metabolism and circadian physiology at the Perelman School of Medicine and is now a third-year medical student at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, focusing on cardiology and hematology/oncology.
Asya Surphili
Asya Surphili is, a former student at Dobbs Ferry High School conducted research on microplastics and their impacts on marine organisms and ecosystems at the Goes-Gomes Lab. Her projects examined microplastics in Atlantic sturgeon, synthetic fibers from clothing and detergents, and their interactions with Noctiluca and zooplankton, contributing to broader efforts to understand plastic pollution in the ocean.
Chloe Kim
Chloe Kim is a student at Cornell University majoring in Biometry and Statistics. At the Goes-gomes Lab, she worked to mitigate harmful algal blooms in the the Morningside Park Pond, NYC, evaluating low-cost, non-toxic mineral treatments. As a child Chloe’s parents brought her to the park every weekend so she has special interest in supporting the management of this urban ecosystem.
Ishaan Bharadwaj
Ishaan Bharadwaj, a graduate of Millburn High School, spent two summers in the Goes–Gomes Lab investigating (1) the effects of ocean acidification on phytoplankton in Long Island Sound and (2) polystyrene biodegradation using waxworm saliva. His research earned awards from the Terra North Jersey STEM Fair and the NJ Academy of Science, and was published in the Journal of Emerging Investigators as “A Potential Enzymatic Pathway for Polystyrene Degradation Using Saliva of the Greater Wax Moth (Galleria mellonella).” He will attend Rice University to pursue interdisciplinary scientific research.
Leysha Esteves
Leysha began pursuing environmental research with her mentors, Dr. Goes and Dr. Gomes, at the end of her sophomore year at Peekskill High School. This was her first introduction to research. Throughout her time with Dr. Goes and Dr. Gomes, Leysha sought to understand how climate-change, natural disasters, and pollution influence not only the Arabian marine ecosystem and the well-being of communities relying on the Arabian Sea's ecosystem for sustenance. This research was especially meaningful to her because her family had immigrated to the United States from Goa, a small state on India's west coast. Her community's way of life and source of food rely on the protection of the Arabian Sea's ecosystem.
Marwa Al Azri
Julian Jacobs, a senior at Hastings High School in Westchester County, New York, interned with the Goes–Gomes group. Motivated by an interest in ocean acidification and its impacts on phytoplankton, he contributed to research on Noctiluca blooms and their ecological implications in the Gomes and Goes Labs. He recently graduated from Hamilton College with a B.A. in Environmental Biology.
Sarah D’Souza
Sarah D’Souza, one of the earliest interns at the Goes-Gomes Lab, attended Pennsylvania State University, Schreyer Honors College and obtained a BS in Biobehavioral Health prior to receiving her medical degree from Marian University College of Osteopathic Medicine. She is completing residency in Obstetrics & Gynecology at Henry Ford Macomb Hospital in Michigan and will be continuing graduate medical education as a Complex Family Planning fellow at the University of North Carolina.
William Kuster
William Kuster, a senior at the Collegiate School, NYC, studied the effects of oxygen and CO₂ on Noctiluca scintillans, contributing to efforts to better understand harmful algal blooms. He also assisted with theGoes-Gomes Lab’s website and outreach initiatives. He graduated from he University of Pennsylvania and is currently an Analyst at Societe Generale Corporate and Investment Banking.
Aidan Alberto
Aidan Alberto, a student in the Honors College at Rutgers University–New Brunswick double-majoring in Finance and Accounting, spent a summer as a research intern at Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory. Working in the lab, he investigated the effects of carbon dioxide levels and hypoxia on phytoplankton cell growth using samples from Long Island Sound, contributing to data analysis, documentation, and a presentation at the 2023 NYCSRM Consortium.