

Tracie Baker
Principal Investigator and Director
Dr. Baker has substantial academic training and research in developmental biology, environmental toxicology, genetics, and animal health. Her academic training has been multidisciplinary in nature with an interest in toxicology beginning as an undergraduate at Cleveland State University, where she investigated water pollution effects on zebra mussel survival and behavioral ecology. She earned her Master of Science at the University of Alaska – Fairbanks while researching genes involved in toxin production by harmful algal blooms and bacterial species. After earning her DVM (University of Wisconsin – Madison) and a certificate in fish health medicine from the State of Wisconsin, she was an assistant researcher investigating clinical improvements in fish medicine before accepting an NIEHS-funded postdoctoral position that evolved into a PhD program at UW – Madison under the mentorship of Dr. Dick Peterson. Her research was the first to show transgenerational inheritance of disease using a zebrafish model. In 2013, she competed successfully for an NIH K01 award through the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS). Dr. Baker found that low level, dioxin-induced decreased fertility across multiple generations following early developmental exposure is mediated through the male germline, and has been invited to present these findings at several national and international conferences, including at several workshops hosted by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). She started her own laboratory at Wayne State University in 2016 and transitioned to a tenured Associate Professor position in the Department of Environmental and Global Health at the University of Florida in August 2021. In this time, the WATER lab has published primary articles that highlight our knowledge and skills uncovering the critical genes and epigenetic regulation underlying adverse health endpoints and provide critical insights into transgenerational, environmentally induced disease. Recent publications include the investigation of single-cell transcriptomic changes involved in EDC-induced infertility, the occurrence and effects of endocrine disruption due to environmental contaminants we measured in Detroit waterbodies, exogenous factors linked to the development of childhood leukemia, occurrence of microplastics in drinking water and the consequential impact on human health, evaluation of microbiome changes due to drinking water filtration, and the use of novel assay systems to evaluate health effects of volatile organic chemicals. As a previous NCAA Division I swimmer, Tracie enjoys being a faculty advisor for the WSU Swimming and Diving team. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her wife, daughter, and their two dogs, participating in open water swim events and triathlons, traveling, and being outside.

Isabela Silva
Lab Manager
Isabela received her B.S. in Biology at the University of South Florida (USF) with a passion for studying Conservation science in an urban setting. Isabela joined the WATER lab in Fall 2021 and since then has been excited to see how concerning environmental toxicants found in everyday commercial products can negatively affect populations of Zebrafish. When not overseeing the lab, Isabela enjoys cooking fresh food, singing, and enjoying an outside workout!

Danielle Meyer
Post-doctoral fellow
Danielle is a postdoctoral research associate in the Department of Environmental and Global Health at the University of Florida. In 2021, she earned her Ph.D. in Pharmacology at Wayne State University, after majoring in Biology and Psychology with a minor in Neuroscience from Hope College in 2015. Since joining the WATER lab in 2016, her doctoral (and ongoing) research has explored the lifespan and legacy health effects of developmental exposure to environmental endocrine-disrupting toxicants, including TCDD (dioxin), lead, and nanoplastics. Her research goal is to use the zebrafish model to look at the specific timing of molecular events during early development that become dysregulated by endocrine disruption, leading to effects ranging from infertility to neurological dysfunction later in life and in following generations. Outside of the lab, she enjoys reading, music, podcasts, theater, researching and exploring new places, and cuddling all available fuzzy animals.

Mallory Llewellyn
Graduate student
Mallory obtained her bachelor’s degree in Physiology from the University of Washington in 2017. She worked in a gene therapy lab at Fred Hutch before applying to graduate school. She is currently a PhD student in Environmental Toxicology researching the effects of ingesting nanoplastics. In her days off she enjoys gardening, reading and mushroom hunting.

Mackenzie Connell
Graduate student
Mackenzie joined the WATER lab in 2017 while pursuing her B.S. in public health with a minor in sociology. She then went on to earn a Master of Public Health Degree from Wayne State University with a concentration in public health practice. Mackenzie has had the opportunity to learn about environmental health and contribute to health research in her time with the WATER Lab, Michigan Antibiotic Resistance Reduction Coalition, and Henry Ford Health System. Combining her background and education in Public Health Analytics, Mackenzie plans to build on these foundational skills as she works toward her PhD in Public Health at the University of Florida. Mackenzie has a passion for maternal and reproductive health and will continue to investigate the environmental stressors that affect organisms during critical reproductive windows. When she’s not in the lab, you can find Mackenzie on the water, reading, or enjoying quality time exploring Florida with her fiancé.

Megan Slovisky
Graduate student
Megan got her bachelor's degree in Biology at the University of Michigan and got her master's degree in Biology at Eastern Michigan University. She worked at Pfizer on the COVID vaccine prior to applying to the doctoral program. She is getting her PhD in Veterinary Medicine with a focus on toxicology, researching the effects of TCDD on the presentation of dilated cardiomyopathy. On her days off she enjoys hiking with her two dogs (Primrose and Pumpkin), reading and scuba diving!

Nolan Lyons
Research Technician
Nolan graduated from Siena Heights University in 2016 obtaining his bachelor's degree in biology. Before starting at UF, Nolan worked for Henry Ford Health in Detroit Michigan, as a Research Recruitment Representative. During his time with HFH, he worked in sample collection and scientific writing. Nolan will be furthering his education next July at Liberty University College of Osteopathic Medicine where he plans to pursue his goal of becoming an orthopedic surgeon. Nolan will be working with Microplastics while at the WATER lab. In his free time, Nolan enjoys cooking, fishing, going to the gym, and spending time with his fiancé.



2022/2023
Undergraduates






Top row:
Gabrielle Gonzalez (UF University Research Scholars Program)
Dayita Banerjee (UF Honors Program)
Brianna Vo (UF Honors Program)
Middle row:
Grace Winny
Amelia Paquette
Rachel Caspar
Bottom row:
Emma Cavaneau (UF Honors Program)
Emily Kintzele
Ashley Guarino (UF University Research Scholars Program)







2022 Spring
Undergraduates
Top row:
Ashley Guarino (UF University Research Scholars Program)
Dayita Banerjee (UF Honors Program)
Gabrielle Gonzalez (UF University Research Scholars Program)
Haley Diefenbaugh (Emergency & Critical Care - UF Small Animal Hospital)
Bottom row:
Courtney Kennedy
Brianna Vo (UF Honors Program)
Meguine Duvert

2020/2021
Undergraduates
Mackenzie Connell (WSU reBUILD scholar)
Destiny Johnson (WSU IMSD program)
Abraham Soto (WSU IMSD program)
Mohammad Abdi (WSU reBUILD scholar)
Aicha Khalaf (WSU Richard Barber Interdisciplinary Research Program)
Anna-Maria Petriv

2019 Undergraduates
Mackenzie Connell (WSU Richard Barber Interdisciplinary Research Program and reBUILD scholar)
Abraham Soto (WSU IMSD program)
Anna-Maria Petriv
Michelle Gorrell (WSU SURE scholar)
Destiny Johnson (WSU IMSD program)

2018 Undergraduates
Andrea Wahls
Anna-Maria Petriv (WSU Richard Barber Interdisciplinary Research Program)
Abraham Soto (WSU IMSD program)
Mackenzie Connell (WSU reBUILD scholar)
Zane Tolbert (WSU SURE and SURF scholar)
Annelise Crabtree (WSU reBUILD scholar)
Nemer Hijazi