Regina Alvarez

Regina Alvarez is an Assistant Professor of Biology at Dominican University New York, actively engaged in the HHMI Science Education Alliance-Phage Hunters Advancing Genomics and Evolutionary Science (SEA-PHAGES) program since 2017. She teaches both laboratory-based phage discovery courses and bioinformatics courses, mentoring undergraduate students in bacteriophage research.

Her research and teaching interests center on bacteriophage biology, microbiology, genomics, and bioinformatics. Through the SEA-PHAGES program, she guides students in isolating and characterizing novel bacteriophages infecting Mycobacterium smegmatis, contributing to large-scale collaborative efforts in phage diversity and evolution. Her work integrates authentic research into undergraduate curricula, emphasizing hands-on microbiology and computational analysis.

Professor Alvarez has consistently taught multiple sections of BI 221 (phage discovery) and BI 222 (phage genomics) from Fall 2017 through Fall 2025, collaborating with colleagues Bernadette Connors and Emma Sarro. She has instructed over 20 course sections with 7–20 students each, primarily freshmen and sophomores, providing foundational research experiences in phage isolation, genome annotation, and evolutionary analysis.

As a core participant in the HHMI-funded SEA-PHAGES program, she leverages institutional resources for undergraduate research training. Her role includes designing course structures, supervising student projects on M. smegmatis phages, and contributing to national phage genomics initiatives, exemplifying the integration of cutting-edge research into science education.