Dr. Israel L. Cunha-Neto
Principal Investigator
Principal Investigator​​​​​​
Israel L. Cunha-Neto, Ph.D. ​
Assistant Professor | OE 239 (office) | OE 313 (lab)​
An agronomist who turned a botanist, with a broad interest in the evolution of plant form and function.
​​
2025 Assistant Professor – Florida International University
2021 Ph.D. Botany – University of São Paulo (Brazil)
2017 M.Sc. Botany – National Museum of Brazil (Brazil)
2015 B.S. Agronomy – Federal University of Recôncavo of Bahia (Brazil)
​
Teaching: BOT 4503: Plant Physiology (Fall 2025)​
Current Members
Aleksandra Molchanova
Undergraduate student (Biology)
Florida International University
Project: Pilot studies on the genetic basis of atypical vasculature in beets (Beta vulgaris)
Mentor: Dr. Israel Cunha-Neto
​
Marcela Nova
Undergraduate student (Biology)
Florida International University
Project: Morpho-anatomical and genetic diversity of Gracilaria (Gracilariales, Rhodophyta)
Mentors: 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: Ecology and evolution of lianas in the Mt. Makiling Forest Reserve, Philippines ​
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