PhD Student
Molecular Implications of Pollutants
Sheridan earned a B.S. in marine biology from the University of West Florida (UWF). For much of her undergraduate degree, she worked as an undergraduate researcher focusing on the phylogeography of the coquina clam Donax variabilis and endangered species conservation via environmental DNA habitat monitoring. After graduating in May 2017, Sheridan pursued her master’s degree in biology, focusing on molecular biology, at UWF, starting in the spring semester of 2018.
Sheridan’s research focused on the epigenetic effects of microplastic exposure on DNA. Specifically, her thesis looked at how microplastic exposure changed the genomic DNA methylation of cultured bluegill epithelial cells. After graduating in the summer of 2020, she spent several years working and acquiring new skills as a molecular laboratory technician in a virology lab at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Gulf Ecosystem Measurement and Modeling Division and a research assistant in a UWF bioremediation laboratory.
Sheridan now seeks to continue her education with the Aquatic Animal Health Program by pursuing a PhD in Veterinary Medical Sciences. Her research will focus on how common environmental pollutants (e.g., microplastics/nanoplastics, cosmetic UV filters) affect Florida marine mammal epigenetic and transcriptomic responses, such as up/downregulation of vital genes and increased DNA aging. In her free time, Sheridan enjoys reading, drawing, geocaching, and playing with her dog.
For more information about his research, grants, and affiliations, please contact Sheridan or visit her UF directory profile below.
