Andrian Gajigan
Education: Ph.D. ’25, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
Cornell Faculty Mentor: Ian Hewson, Cornell CALS / Microbiology
External Adviser: Anicia Hurtado, Integrated Services for the Development of Aquaculture and Fisheries (ISDA)
Theme: Advancing One Health
Development of Disease Biomarkers for Sustainable Seaweed Farming
Andrian (Adi) Gajigan’s training has provided him with a strong background in various disciplines, including biochemistry, microbiology, oceanography, bioinformatics, ecology, and virology. Early in his career, he pursued independent research, published several first-authored articles, and secured highly competitive research grants from the National Geographic and the US DOE Joint Genome Institute. Adi has various experiences translating scientific results to local government initiatives, community engagements, and citizen science projects. One of his previous projects was deploying low-cost tools for coastal health monitoring (specifically harmful algal bloom) and democratizing access to science by bringing in these tools (foldable microscope and low-cost imaging system). Previously, he examined the effects of climate change on marine organisms, specifically corals, sponges, and microbes, using a multi-omics approach. His team uncovered a novel microRNA that orchestrates the heat stress response in corals and its microbiome response. For his Ph.D., he specialized in marine viruses. He developed and successfully established novel host-virus model systems that paved the way to examine the ecology and molecular mechanism of infection. He aims to build a robust research program on marine disease ecology in relation to anthropogenic disturbances and climate change to better predict, prepare, and alleviate its negative impact.