Nicholas

Wong

Nicholas Wong is a 3rd-year PhD student at Johns Hopkins University and Carnegie Science, working in the Ludington lab. He is passionate about applying interdisciplinary studies to address complex ecological issues. Nicholas completed his undergraduate and master's degrees in microbiology and mathematics at UCSD and the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, with a focus on pursuing a career in microbial oceanography.

He is currently studying the biological and genetic mechanisms that drive algal blooms in relation to their physical environmental conditions and examining how anthropogenic influences can increase the severity and frequency of these blooms. Nicholas builds custom robots to grow algae under a variety of environmentally relevant conditions. These robots allow him to perform genetic screens to identify potential essential gene sets that facilitate blooms. The ultimate goal of his research is to develop a comprehensive model linking biological phenomena to environmental stimuli in algae, improving prediction models for algal blooms.