Yifan (Vivian) Li

I am interested in the roles that bacterial communities play in coral health and stress tolerance. In particular, I am interested in looking at how inter-species and inter-kingdom metabolic networks and trophic interactions shape holobiont behavior under sub-optimal environmental conditions. I am fascinated by the power of microbes to assist in coral adaptation and evolution to the changing oceans on anthropogenic timescales and I hope to employ insights from my research to inform coral reef conservation strategies. Outside of the lab, I am passionate about using creative storytelling to communicate science and advocate for representation in STEM.