Our Team

Dr. Vincent Pieribone is Vice Chairman of OceanX, an initiative of Dalio Philanthropies. In addition, he is a Professor of Cellular & Molecular Physiology and Neuroscience at the Yale School of Medicine and a Fellow at the John B. Pierce Laboratory. His research is directed at discovering and engineering methods to measure brain activity using a combination of light and proteins found in the ocean. Over the past 15 years, he has conducted ocean research expeditions across the globe. He has started both a pharmaceutical company and a medical diagnostic company. Vincent also serves as a Research Associate for The American Museum of Natural History and on the Scientific Board of Directors of the Mystic Aquarium.

Mattie Rodrigue is a seasoned ocean science professional with extensive experience with ocean exploration initiatives, marine science research, program development and facilitation. She is the Head of Science Operations at OceanX. Prior to joining the OceanX team, Mattie earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Biological Sciences, with a concentration in conservation and ecology, from Arizona State University. She then earned a Master of Science degree in Marine Biology, and a Master of Science degree in Marine Policy from the University of Maine, while running a multidisciplinary fisheries research program with local fishing communities along the coast of Maine. After completing her graduate degrees, Mattie was selected for the prestigious John D. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship, placing her at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reporting to NOAA leadership. Mattie worked on domestic and international ocean, weather, and climate policy initiatives as well as ocean exploration and technology programming for NOAA. When Mattie is not sailing on board OceanXplorer she is living happily in Brooklyn with her plants, all cactus.

Jeriyla Kamau-Weng is a science program associate at OceanX. She works on expedition planning for the science team and manages the artificial intelligence research and development program at OceanX. She is a graduate of Northeastern University where she earned her Bachelors in Marine Biology and Masters in Environmental Science and Policy.

Kailani Acosta (she/her) is a science program associate at OceanX supporting both the science and education pillars. She earned her PhD in biological oceanography from Columbia University in 2024. Her research primarily focused on phosphorus and nitrogen in the surface ocean of the Gulf of Mexico and how nutrients change over time and space. She is interested in understanding how nutrients vary and how they influence phytoplankton communities and larger-scale ecosystem nutrient cycles. Her research interests include nutrient cycling, microbial ecology, and ecosystem modeling. She is passionate about increasing diversity, equity, and inclusion in STEM.

Larissa manages the genomics program onboard the OceanXplorer. Priro to joining the OceanX team, Larissa's research focused on the usage of eDNA to explore ecosystems like coral reefs, seagrass meadows, mangroves, or survey (microbial) community changes in marine habitats. During her Ph.D, she tested the potential of microbes as bioindicators to assess the impacts of aquaculture on coastal ecosystems. Using metabarcoding and bioinformatics, she is interested in finding bioindicators - ranging from marine microbes to megafauna - and new methods to describe changes in sensitive marine habitats.

Erin Heffron is an ocean mapping specialist providing sonar data acquistion, subsea navigation, geospatial analysis, and GIS services through her company, Ocean Mapping Services LLC. Her undergraduate studies focused on geology and GIS, and she became immersed in the world of ocean mapping while working for IVS3D and, post-acquisition of IVS3D, QPS, as a Senior Product Specialist focusing on pre-sales technical support, product outreach and technical training for nearly ten years. She was a founding member of the Backscatter Working Group and was part the internal core team tasked with investigating client and community needs during the development of the Qimera software. She left QPS in 2015 to pursue her master’s degree in Earth Sciences, Ocean Mapping at the University of New Hampshire's Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping. While completing her master's she began working extensively with the Ocean Exploration Trust, serving as a Mapping Coordinator, Lead Navigator and Expedition Leader aboard the E/V Nautilus on dozens of expeditions. Post-degree she has continued working offshore as well as on shore-based projects ranging from data processing to pre-exploration research and geohazard analysis.

Rikki Kirchell, University of Plymouth graduate with a BSc in Ocean Exploration. Fifteen years in offshore surveying, from shallow water nearshore surveys to deep water salvage. Interests in autonomous systems and continuous learning.

Filippo Varini is a machine learning engineer at OceanX, where he develops AI tools to support scientific research and exploration. He works closely with the data and science teams to deploy these tools during OceanX expeditions. Filippo holds a Master’s in Computing with a focus on AI from Imperial College London, and previously worked at Palantir Technologies deploying AI solutions across sectors. He has also led community-driven initiatives focused on developing technology for climate mitigation and shark conservation.