Shana Goffredi

Shana Goffredi is a Professor of Biology and current Department Chair at Occidental College, where she has served since 2005. She teaches foundational courses including General Zoology (Bio115), Microbial Diversity (Bio325), and Microbial Symbiosis (Bio350). Her office is located in Bioscience 107, and she maintains regular office hours for student consultation.

Dr. Goffredi earned her B.A. in Biology/Marine Science from the University of San Diego and completed her Ph.D. in Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology at UC Santa Barbara. Her academic journey has positioned her at the forefront of marine symbiosis research, bridging molecular biology with ecological fieldwork.

Professor Goffredi's research focuses on the cooperative interactions between invertebrates and bacteria that have significantly contributed to biodiversity by generating new forms, physiologies, and evolutionary lineages. She explores the molecular ecology and biochemistry of symbiotic systems across diverse environments, with particular emphasis on deep-sea habitats including methane seeps and hydrothermal vents. Her work reveals how environmental factors shape symbiotic partnerships, often leading to novel adaptations in both host and microbial partners. The Symbiosis Lab she directs investigates everything from tropical insect-fungal relationships to extreme deep-sea ecosystems where organisms thrive without sunlight.

Analysis of Goffredi's recent publications reveals a consistent focus on deep-sea symbiotic relationships, particularly those involving chemosynthetic processes at methane seeps and hydrothermal vents. Her research spans multiple taxonomic groups including Osedax worms, yeti crabs, deep-sea anemones, and blood-feeding marine parasites. A notable trend is her examination of how symbiotic relationships expand the ecological reach of methane seep influence, demonstrating that these ecosystems affect organisms far beyond traditional boundaries. Her work integrates molecular, genomic, and ecological approaches to unravel the complexity of host-microbe interactions in extreme environments.

Dr. Goffredi's exceptional contributions to teaching and scholarship have been recognized with prestigious awards:

• 2014 Linda and Tod White Teaching Prize
• 2023 Graham L. Sterling Memorial Award for distinguished teaching, service, and professional achievement

Professor Goffredi actively mentors undergraduate researchers, with eight students recently conducting projects on marine parasites, deep-sea worms, and tropical sponges. Her research is primarily funded by the National Science Foundation, supporting both laboratory investigations and field expeditions. She recently served as chief scientist on a five-day research cruise exploring the deep sea off Southern California, where her team investigated carbon, sulfur, and nitrogen cycling in unique natural laboratories at depths of 2,600-3,300 feet. This expedition built upon previous work conducted in 2013-14, allowing for temporal analysis of community changes.

The Symbiosis Lab at Occidental College serves as the hub for Goffredi's research program, where students employ molecular, imaging, and experimental techniques to study beneficial microbial partnerships. Her collaborative approach extends to a diverse network of scientists including animal biologists, microbiologists, ecologists, and geochemists. Recent expeditions have involved submersible pilots and specialists who collectively investigate the myriad lifeforms supported by deep-sea habitats, with particular attention to how symbiotic bacteria enable organisms to exploit environments otherwise unavailable to most life forms.