Welcome to the Medina Lab
About Us
After many years at The Pennsylvania State University, the Medina Lab began an exciting new chapter at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in Fall 2025. We study the ecology and evolution of host–microbe interactions, with a focus on cnidarian systems, using approaches that span genomics, developmental and cell biology, and organismal physiology. The lab has now completed its first year at UCLA, is fully established on campus, and is working on very exciting new projects.
Please contact Mónica if you are interested in joining the lab.
Recent News!
THE FUTURE OF ARTS + HEALING
At the inaugural Living Canvas Forum, Mónica Medina joined a cross-disciplinary conversation on how art can support science, learning, healing, and community. In this interview, she reflects on the role of creativity in research and science communication.
Q&A: Following a Path in Marine Biology
Current Biology recently featured Mónica Medina in an interview highlighting her path in marine biology and the research questions that continue to shape her work on coral evolution, symbiosis, and ancient DNA.
Las “bibliotecas” del pasado que buscan los científicos bajo el mar Caribe colombiano
A paleogenomic and paleoclimatic approach to reconstruct historical responses of coral holobionts to anthropogenic change
Our approach combining sclerochronology, coraDNA and geochemistry was able to reconstruct historical symbiont shuffling and microbial shifts linked to local anthropogenic disturbances from a coral skeletal core. Read more here:
Featured in Science
A new perspective on the global coral reef crisis and the transformative role of art in conservation has been published in Science. Explore the ideas behind this work and discover how the Coral Art & Science Consortium is fostering a global community where creativity, science, and collaboration inspire collective action for the future of coral reefs.
Media Coverage
Vote bien, vote por los corales:
Muchas especies de corales forman relaciones beneficiosas con algas para sobrevivir, pero el cambio climático y la actividad humana están causando que estas relaciones se rompan y los corales se blanqueen. ¿Cómo sucede esto?¿Qué implicaría perder a los arrecifes de coral? ¿Qué tiene que ver todo esto con las decisiones políticas en el mundo?
New Podcast Episode: Jun 17, 2026
FROM WHERE DOES IT STEM
Corals, symbiosis, and scientific courage. Dr. Mónica Medina dives deep into what it means to study and protect life underwater. We talk about reef conservation, community, and leading with heart in science.
Episode was co-hosted with HHMI Gilliam Fellow Danny Olivares-Cordero, a researcher studying coral and coral reefs.
Explore Past Articles, Media Features, And Community Updates
A paleogenomic and paleoclimatic approach to reconstruct historical responses of coral holobionts to anthropogenic change
Our approach combining sclerochronology, coraDNA and geochemistry was able to reconstruct historical symbiont shuffling and microbial shifts linked to local anthropogenic disturbances from a coral skeletal core. Read more here:
Featured in Science
A new perspective on the global coral reef crisis and the transformative role of art in conservation has been published in Science. Explore the ideas behind this work and discover how the Coral Art & Science Consortium is fostering a global community where creativity, science, and collaboration inspire collective action for the future of coral reefs.
Media Coverage
Vote bien, vote por los corales:
Muchas especies de corales forman relaciones beneficiosas con algas para sobrevivir, pero el cambio climático y la actividad humana están causando que estas relaciones se rompan y los corales se blanqueen. ¿Cómo sucede esto?¿Qué implicaría perder a los arrecifes de coral? ¿Qué tiene que ver todo esto con las decisiones políticas en el mundo?
New Podcast Episode: Jun 17, 2026
FROM WHERE DOES IT STEM
Corals, symbiosis, and scientific courage. Dr. Mónica Medina dives deep into what it means to study and protect life underwater. We talk about reef conservation, community, and leading with heart in science.
Episode was co-hosted with HHMI Gilliam Fellow Danny Olivares-Cordero, a researcher studying coral and coral reefs.
Explore Past Articles, Media Features, And Community Updates
“Nature is magic. And to me, coral reefs, the most magical places on Earth. There came a point when studying them was no longer enough. Watching these extraordinary ecosystems disappear before my eyes awakened a deeper calling: to bring together a community united by the urgency of protecting them.”
Prof. Mónica Medina, Ph.D.
The Varadero Reef
The Varadero Reef is one of the most beautiful and enigmatic reefs we know about. Located in Cartagena Bay in Colombia and has been exposed to a myriad of sediments and contaminants due to its proximity to the Magdalena River estuary.