Graduate Students

Liezel earned her Bachelor's degree from the University of the Philippines Diliman. Her undergraduate thesis focused on optimization of cholinesterase inhibitory assays and evaluation of plant leaf extracts. Following her studies, she became a research associate in the same university where her research projects involved bio-assay guided isolation of bioactive compounds, non-targeted metabolomics, and method development for the quantitative analysis of synthetic compounds. In ALERT, Liezel concentrates on both targeted and non-targeted screening of antibiotics and pharmaceutical residues in wastewater samples, exploring their impact on antimicrobial resistance prevalence.

JM earned his undergraduate degree in Chemistry from the University of the Philippines.  He joined ALERT in Fall 2021and has been involved in multiple collaborative projects. He has been part of an NIEHS-funded project in collaboration with UB’s Department of Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering and the Swanson School of Engineering at the University of Pittsburgh, where he developed analytical techniques, including combustion ion chromatography (CIC), liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), liquid chromatography coupled to ion mobility and quadruple time of flight mass spectrometry (LC-IMS-qTOF), gas chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS), to assess the efficiency of PFAS degradation mechanisms and identify potential transformation products. He also contributed to an NSF-funded project on PFAS degradation using an anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR) in collaboration with the Viterbi School of Engineering at the University of Southern California. He is also involved in another NSF-funded paleoclimate research project led by his co-adviser, Dr. Elizabeth Thomas, in UB’s Department of Earth Sciences, for which he used lipid biomarkers detected in ice-basal sediments from Northwestern Greenland.  His findings provided insights into the climate and environmental conditions of the region during ice-free periods, highlighting critical evidence for understanding the sensitivity of the Greenland Ice Sheet to warming and climate change.

Jon is from Allegany, NY and received his Bachelor’s of Science in Chemistry with a minor in mathematics from St. Bonaventure University. As an undergraduate Jon worked with Dr. Scott Simpson on computational and physical chemistry research. A few of the main projects were modeling basic organic chemistry reactions, determining the virial equation of state for modeling air, and modeling liquid chromatography to predicted molecule retention times. In ALERT Jon will continue his work on modeling liquid chromatography as well as mass spectrometry to identify molecules in nontarget analysis. He will also work analyzing samples from projects with the aim degrade PFAS and determine the degradation products. 

Damalka is from Negombo, Sri Lanka, and received her Bachelor’s of Science in Environmental Science from the University of Peradeniya in 2020. As an undergraduate, she researched the development of metal-nanomaterial-impregnated adsorbents to remove elevated levels of fluoride and water-hardness in groundwater. In ALERT, her research focuses on developing a particle to preconcentrate PFAS and other organic polar contaminants using dispersive solid phase extraction and analyzing water samples for antimicrobials, utilizing liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) techniques. In her free time, she enjoys listening to music, reading books, and enjoying nature.

Lilly is from Branchport, NY and received their Bachelor’s of Science in Chemistry with a minor in Environmental Studies from St. Bonaventure University in 2025. As an undergraduate, Lilly worked with Dr. Scott Simpson on computational chemistry research, focusing on modeling potential molecular corks for improved hydrogen energy storage. They also worked with Dr. Karie Altman on measuring the effect of pesticides on the rate and intensity of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis infection in local amphibian populations. In ALERT, Lilly will investigate the physiochemical properties of PFAS through a mix of computational and experimental methods, including nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), to further develop the PFAS library to aid in identification and treatment of PFAS compounds.

Dulan is from Gampaha, Sri Lanka and received his Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Science from University of Peradeniya in 2020. For his undergraduate thesis, he worked to understand the impacts of a high-grade phosphorite deposit in Eppawala, Sri Lanka on the water quality of surrounding aquifers. Then he joined National Institute of Fundamental Studies, Sri Lanka as a trainee research assistant and assisted in a project on developing a baseline soil information system for soil carbon and other nutrients for paddy growing soils in Sri Lanka. At University at Buffalo, Dulan is co-advised by Dr. Luis Colon and Dr. Diana Aga. His current work involves developing and evaluating silica based stationary phases for chromatographic separations and  developing superficially porous organo-silica particles with radially oriented pores for efficient analytical septations. He also is investigating different analytical techniques to quantify emerging contaminants in complex matrices, such as pyrolytic byproducts. He spends his free time cleaning his aquariums and playing Skyrim.

Ann Elizabeth Enova (Elise) earned her BS in Chemical Engineering and an MS in Marine Science from the University of the Philippines. She began her career as a process engineer in a petroleum refinery before shifting to environmental research. Her master’s work was on modeling the transport of pharmaceutical contaminants. Now a PhD student at the University at Buffalo, Elise investigates PFAS in aquatic environments using field sampling, solid-phase extraction (SPE), LC-MS/MS, and LC-IMS-qTOF for non-targeted analysis. She is also interested in integrating computational and data analysis techniques into environmental and analytical research. Elise currently teaches General Chemistry as a graduate teaching assistant and enjoys singing, reading, and musical theater.

Tyrone is from Legazpi City, Philippines and he earned his Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from Bicol University. He began his professional career in a Petroleum Refinery where he joined as a Chemist and had an opportunity to learn and master various instrumental methods and techniques like Gas Chromatography (GC), Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES), and Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS). In the ALERT Lab, he will be working on the targeted method development, optimization, and analysis of various emerging and legacy Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) in the environment using GC-MS/MS, LC-MS/MS, and Combustion Ion Chromatography (CIC). In his free time, Tyrone likes to work on single-board-computers (SBCs), participating in outdoor activities, photography, and calligraphy. 

Jonathan Navarro Ramos is from Corozal, Puerto Rico, and received his Bachelor of Science in Environmental Technology with an emphasis in Environmental Chemistry from the University of Puerto Rico, Aguadilla campus. During his undergraduate studies, he focused on using semiquantitative in-field techniques to analyze arsenic levels in rivers and tap water. Additionally, he conducted research on tin toxicology in C. elegans. He gained experience in wastewater treatment plants, where he worked in the laboratory evaluating the efficacy of different stages in the treatment process. At the University at Buffalo, he has been involved in characterizing leachate from various tire-derived materials using a wide range of applications, including LC-MS/MS, GC-MS/MS, and ICP-MS. His work also centers on elucidating disinfection byproducts of tire-derived chemicals using high-resolution Mass Spectrometry.

Jenise earned both her Chemistry Bachelor’s degree and Master’s degree from the University of the Philippines Los Baños. Her undergraduate thesis focused on synthesizing food-grade rice bran oil-based polyols, while her graduate thesis focused on utilizing waste polyethylene terephthalate to enhance bitumen properties. Following her studies, she worked at the same university as an Assistant Professor. In the ALERT lab, Jenise will be working on degrading PFAS using triboelectrification and developing methods for PFAS extraction and analysis in breast milk samples. This analysis mostly accomplished utilizing SPE, and LC-MS/MS methods.

Karla Ríos Bonilla is from Villalba, Puerto Rico and received her Bachelor’s of Science in Industrial Chemistry from the University of Puerto Rico at Humacao. While pursuing her undergraduate degree, Karla worked in the pharma industries specializing in method and development for new pharmaceuticals for infectious diseases.  She is co-advised by Dr. Luis A. Colón. In the ALERT lab, her research focuses on comparing  different analysis for PFAS, Fluorotelomer olefins and alcohols mostly between LC-MS/MS and SFC-MS/MS. In her spare time, she likes to explore new places in and around Western New York and spend time with her dog Mía. 

Thushara Tennakoon is from Kandy, Sri Lanka, and earned her Bachelor’s of Science in Environmental Science from the University of Peradeniya in 2022.  Her undergraduate thesis focused on the removal of heavy metals specifically lead and cadmium from water using plant-derived adsorbents. Water quality, adsorbent characteristics and metal concentrations were assessed using Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR), and X-ray Fluorescence Spectroscopy (XRF).

Her current research focuses on the analysis of surface water samples for antibiotics and pesticides. These analyses are primarily conducted using solid-phase extraction (SPE), combustion ion chromatography (CIC), and Liquid Chromatography tandem mass Spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) techniques. Additional work includes developing liquid chromatography and gas chromatography tandem mass spectrometry methods for pesticide analysis in surface waters. Thushara also works on non-target analysis using high-resolution mass spectrometry to investigate PFAS, pharmaceuticals, and personal care products in environmental samples.

Tristan Vick is from Rochester, N.Y. and earned his Bachelor’s of Science in Chemistry from the University at Buffalo in 2023. He joined ALERT as an undergraduate in 2022 and assisted Zacheriah Gernold with sample preparation of strawberry plants and bird matter for analysis. He learned how instruments like the inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (ICP-MS) and gas chromatography and liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometer (GC-MS/MS & LC-MS/MS) work during this time. When ChatGPT was released in late 2022, he became inspired to learn more about the principles and applications of machine learning in the field of chemistry. Since joining ALERT, Tristan has been hard at work learning about computational, physical, and analytical chemistry in the hopes of combining them with machine learning to make testable predictions about chemical systems. In the future he hopes to build a large physiochemical properties library for PFAS and to use machine learning to aid in identifying many of the unknown PFAS which we detect in non-targeted analysis. 

Mindula, hailing from Kandy, Sri Lanka, earned her Bachelor’s of Science in Chemistry from the University of Sri Jayewardenepura in 2019. During her undergraduate studies, she gained experience in the analytical field, specifically utilizing solid phase microextraction gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (SPME-GC/MS).  To elaborate on Mindula’s research at the ALERT, her work focuses on developing sensitive analytical methods for PFAS and PFAS isomer analysis in blood, water, and fish samples. She has used several analytical approaches, including combustion ion chromatography (CIC), liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), liquid chromatography coupled to ion mobility separation with the time of flight (LC-IMS/QToF), inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), to explore contaminant analysis in complex matrices. Not only does she analyze forever chemicals (PFAS), but she also further investigates microbial degradation as a mitigation strategy.