
Dr. Israel L. Cunha-Neto
Principal Investigator
Principal Investigator​​​​​​

Israel L. Cunha-Neto, Ph.D. ​​
Assistant Professor​​
​​Interests: Plant anatomy, evolutionary developmental biology, functional biology.​​
Teaching: BOT 4503: Plant Physiology (Fall 2025)​
OE 239 (office) | OE 313 (lab)
Current Members

Aleksandra Molchanova
Undergraduate student
Florida International University
Project: Beet as a model for extreme plant vasculature: pilot studies
​

Marcela Nova
Undergraduate student
Florida International University
Project: Morpho-anatomical and genetic diversity of Gracilaria (Gracilariales, Rhodophyta)
Supervisors: Dr. Israel Cunha-Neto and Dr. Fabiana Marchi

Dr. Fabiana Marchi dos Santos
Postdoctoral Fellow
Instituto de Pesquisas Ambientais (IPA), São Paulo, Brazil | Florida International University
Project: Differential abundance of haploid and diploid phases of Gracilaria tikvahiae (Gracilariales, Rhodophyta) along a temperature, nutrient, and geographic gradient in Florida, USA.
Supervisors: Dr. Mutue Toyota Fujii, Dr. Ligia Collado-Vides, and Dr. Israel Cunha-Neto

Caio C. A. Bispo​
Master's student (Botany)
Rio ​​de Janeiro Botanical Garden, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Project: The Wood Anatomy of the Laurel Family: Diversity and Evolution of Wood Characters.
Advisors: Dr. Claudia F. Barros​​​​​, Dr. Arno Brandes, and Dr. Israel Cunha-Neto

John Karlo C. Saddoy
Master's student (Forestry and Natural Resources)
University of the Philippines, Los Baños, Philippines
Project: Vascular variants and ecological strategies of lianas in the Mt. Makiling Forest Reserve. ​
Advisors: Dr. Marilyn S. Combalicer and Dr. Israel Cunha-Neto
Past Members

Natália F. Marques
Master's student (Botany)
National Museum of Brazil, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Project: Stem Development in the Liana Serjania piscatoria (Paullinieae, Sapindaceae). ​
Advisors: Dr. Genise V. Somner and Dr. Israel Cunha-Neto