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2026
2026
August 14, 2026
From Pharmaceutical Sciences to Environmental Toxicology
Tayseer Mohamed, affectionately known as “Teeta,” is a Ph.D. student in Toxicology at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore and a graduate student in the EnviToxIn Lab. She earned her B.S. in Pharmaceutical Sciences from the University of Khartoum and an M.S. in Hospital Pharmacy from National University in Sudan. Her background in pharmaceutical sciences, clinical pharmacy, teaching, and health research brings a valuable interdisciplinary perspective to her doctoral training in environmental toxicology.
In the EnviToxIn Lab, Tayseer is exploring the intersection of PFAS exposure, metabolic plasticity, and physiological resilience. Using Drosophila melanogaster, her research integrates organismal, genetic, and molecular approaches to better understand how environmental exposures influence metabolic regulation and adaptability. Her work contributes to the lab’s emerging Adaptive Toxicology research program.
Beyond the Lab: Teeta enjoys poetry, journaling, interior design, modest fashion design, and culinary arts, reflecting a creative side that extends well beyond her scientific work.
June 5, 2026
From Green Materials Design to Environmental Solutions
Isabela Flores Tatem, known as “Izzi” by family and friends, joins the EnviToxIn Lab as a Ph.D. student in the Food and Agricultural Science Program at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. She brings an interdisciplinary background spanning biochemistry, materials science, sustainability, and environmental innovation. Izzi completed graduate training in Design Science at the University of Michigan, specializing in Biopolymer & Green Materials Design and Sustainable Business Transformation, following a bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry from Roosevelt University.
Her research experience has taken her across diverse areas of science, from biodegradable food packaging and pharmaceutical chemistry to the engineering of advanced materials for catalysis, water electrolysis, and plastics upcycling. In the EnviToxIn Lab, Izzi will bring this materials-focused perspective to our PFAS environmental fate and management research, contributing to the development of practical and sustainable approaches for addressing environmental contamination.
Beyond the Lab: Izzi’s interdisciplinary journey reflects a strong interest in connecting science, sustainability, and innovation to solve real-world environmental challenges.
June 2, 2026
The EnviToxIn Lab is excited to welcome Tayden Kelly and Jadlyn Taylor to our 2026 Summer Research Program. Through their projects, both students will contribute to ongoing efforts to understand how PFAS exposure influences insect development and physiology. Tayden Kelly, an undergraduate student from UMBC, will work on a project investigating the mechanisms underlying PFBA-induced hormesis in fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda). This project combines molecular and plant-mediated studies to identify early biological responses associated with low-dose PFBA exposure and their effects on insect development. Jadlyn Taylor, a rising senior at UMES majoring in General Agriculture, will support a project examining how PFBA and PFOA exposure affect the development of Culex pipiens mosquitoes. Her work will focus on developmental timing, survival, pupation, and adult emergence across a range of PFAS exposure concentrations.
We are excited to support Tayden and Jadlyn as they gain hands-on research experience while contributing to the EnviToxIn Lab's growing environmental toxicology research program.
June 2, 2026
Most Sabiha Sultana Sammi joins the EnviToxIn Lab as a Ph.D. student with a background in agriculture, horticultural science, and environmental sustainability. She earned her B.S. in Agriculture from Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University in Bangladesh, where she subsequently pursued graduate training and served as both a Research Assistant and Teaching Assistant in the Department of Horticulture. Her previous research includes climate-resilient urban agriculture and sustainable crop production, complemented by experience with molecular biology techniques including DNA extraction, PCR, RT-PCR, gel electrophoresis, and spectrophotometry.
Within the EnviToxIn Lab, Sabiha will extend this interdisciplinary background into environmental toxicology and molecular biology, using Drosophila melanogaster to investigate emerging questions surrounding PFAS-induced biological responses. Her doctoral research will contribute to the lab’s broader Adaptive Toxicology program, integrating organismal and molecular approaches to better understand the complexity and plasticity of biological responses to environmental contaminants.
May 23, 2026
The EnviToxIn Lab is excited to welcome Monae Bell Hancock as a graduate student supported through a Maryland Sea Grant Fellowship. Monae will contribute to the lab’s PFAS geochronology project focused on reconstructing historical PFAS accumulation trends in Chesapeake Bay and Maryland Coastal Bay sediments using sediment core analysis and environmental monitoring approaches.
Monae earned her B.S. in Agriculture with a concentration in Environmental Science from Virginia State University, where she conducted undergraduate research investigating plant-derived volatile compounds as potential alternatives to conventional fungicides. Her background spans agricultural research, analytical chemistry, toxicology, and quality assurance laboratories, with experience working alongside LC-MS/MS, HPLC/UPLC, gas chromatography, and environmental monitoring systems. Her interdisciplinary experience and passion for environmental research make her a valuable addition to the lab as we continue advancing research on PFAS contamination and ecosystem health.
May 15, 2026
The EnviToxIn Lab, in collaboration with scientists from University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science(UMCES), is leading a nearly $200,000 research project investigating long-term PFAS accumulation trends and ecosystem impacts in the Chesapeake Bay and Maryland Coastal Bays.
The project combines sediment geochronology, PFAS analysis, microbial DNA sequencing, and shellfish monitoring to reconstruct decades of PFAS contamination history and examine how chronic PFAS exposure may influence sediment microbial communities and benthic ecosystem processes. The research will also generate practical risk assessment tools and science-based resources to support environmental management, aquaculture planning, and coastal ecosystem resilience in Maryland.
May 1, 2026
Dr. Omagamre was awarded a $499,328 Major Grant through the 2026 Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry (DACF) PFAS Fund program. The Major Grant category included a select group of awardees from leading institutions such as the University of Maine, Dartmouth College, and the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. The award program represents one of the nation’s most visible state-led investments in agricultural PFAS research, supporting high-impact projects aimed at addressing PFAS contamination challenges affecting farming communities. Dr Omagamre's research will advances innovative, soil-specific intervention strategies designed to reduce PFAS transfer into agricultural systems.
April 5, 2026
Dr. Omagamre’s PFAS remediation technology was selected as one of only three finalist nominations in the Physical Sciences category for the University of Maryland UM Ventures Invention of the Year Awards. The annual competition highlights breakthrough technologies with strong potential for scientific, societal, and commercial impact across the University of Maryland system.
The recognition highlights the EnviToxIn Lab’s development of a patent-pending, innovative, and sustainable biochar modification strategy that significantly improves short-chain PFAS immobilization.
April 1, 2026
The EnviToxIn Lab received nearly $120,000 in funding from the Harry R. Hughes Center for Agro-Ecology to investigate PFAS movement from contaminated soils into food crops and develop practical strategies to reduce that transfer. Working directly with farmers on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, the project supports science-based approaches for managing PFAS contamination in agricultural systems while maintaining farm productivity. THe project is titled: "Field Validation of Biochar to Reduce PFAS Uptake in Food Crops on Maryland Farms".
January 1, 2026
We are excited to welcome Sumantee Baidya to the EnviToxIn Lab at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) as a new graduate student. Sumantee will play a key role in our Harry R. Hughes Center for Agro-Ecology funded project focused on developing strategies to reduce PFAS uptake in crops grown in biosolid-impacted agricultural soils. Prior to joining UMES, Sumantee conducted research on the phytoremediation potential of Paulownia plants, investigating their ability to tolerate and accumulate heavy metals such as arsenic and lead under controlled hydroponic conditions. Her work involved histochemical staining to visualize metal localization, alongside scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) to evaluate tissue-level accumulation and surface morphological responses to contaminant exposure. Her background in plant contaminant interactions and analytical imaging techniques brings valuable expertise to the lab’s expanding environmental toxicology and agricultural remediation research efforts. Outside of research, she enjoys reading novels, exploring, and traveling to new places.
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