Jackie Collier

Jackie Collier is an Associate Professor in the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences (SoMAS) at Stony Brook University, serving as Graduate Program Director. Her research focuses on phytoplankton physiological ecology and microbial diversity in marine, estuarine, and freshwater systems, with a particular emphasis on cyanobacteria and labyrinthulomycetes.

Her work integrates observational field studies, laboratory experiments, and molecular techniques to explore microbial community dynamics, nutrient cycling, and genetic regulation networks. Current projects include investigating urea utilization in aquatic ecosystems, developing genetic tools for marine protists, and studying picocyanobacteria in Lake George and the Hudson River Estuary.

Recent publications highlight her contributions to understanding the ecological roles of Labyrinthulomycetes in marine biogeochemistry, nitrogen-removing biofilters for wastewater treatment, and collaborative initiatives like the Marine Microbial Eukaryote Transcriptome Sequencing Project. Her lab also focuses on taxonomy (e.g., naming the QPX pathogen Mucochytrium quahogii) and biogeochemical impacts of harmful algal blooms.

She mentors graduate students such as Sabrina Geraci-Yee, Mariana Rius, and Kylie Langlois, with research supported by grants from the Department of Energy (DOE), National Science Foundation (NSF), and the Hudson River Foundation. The Collier Lab collaborates with institutions like Wadsworth Center, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, and New York State Center for Clean Water Technology.