NOAA-EPP LMRCSC Doctoral Fellow
Ph.D., Marine, Estuarine & Environmental Science
University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science
Eric Heinze graduated with a B.S. degree in Biology from Gallaudet University in May 2023 and a M.S. degree in Biology from the University of Rochester in May 2026. Eric participated in the 2021 REU in Biochemistry & Cellular and Molecular Biology at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville, working with mentors Dr. Brad Binder and graduate student Scott Carlew. Their research focused on ethylene signaling in the beneficial plant-associated bacterium, Azospirillum brasilense. He also participated in the 2022 REU in plant biology at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, working with Dr. Ana Caicedo and graduate student Rachel Tavares. Their research focused on the genetic basis of de-domestication in Spanish weedy rice and their endophytic microbial community.
Eric joined the LMRCSC in August 2026. He began studying for a Ph.D. in the Marine Estuarine and Environmental Science program at the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science in August 2026, where he works with Dr. Magdalene Ngeve. His dissertation involves creating genomics-informed conservation strategies for submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV), focusing on Vallisneria americana in the Potomac River. After completing a Ph.D., Eric plans to continue academic research and support the education of the Deaf community.
Research theme: Healthy Habitats
NOAA LMRCSC Fellows attain the NOAA Core Competencies detailed in this rubric.
NERTO Project Title: TBD
NOAA Mentor: TBD
Academic Advisor: Dr. Magdalene Ngeve
Publications:
Carlew TS et al. Ethylene signals through an ethylene receptor to modulate biofilm formation and root colonization in a beneficial plant-associated bacterium. PLOS Genetics. 2025;21(2):e1011587. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgen.1011587
NOAA Living Marine Resources Cooperative Science Center
University of Maryland Eastern Shore (Lead Institution)
(410) 651-7870
Award numbers: FY 2021 Award #NA21SEC4810005
Funding Agency: NOAA Educational Partnership Program (EPP/MSI)
