The team
Zoie Diana, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Environmental Science
Dr. Zoie Diana (pronouns: she/her) is an interdisciplinary environmental scientist and Assistant Professor in the Department of Environmental Science at Barnard College of Columbia University. Before coming to Barnard, she was a Liber Ero Postdoctoral Fellow in the Rochman Lab in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Toronto. Zoie co-founded the Duke University Plastic Pollution Working Group and the Paint Microplastics Network. Zoie previously earned her Ph.D. at Duke University in Dr. Dan Rittschof’s lab in the Marine Science and Conservation Division and Integrated Toxicology and Environmental Health Program. She has also served as a plastic waste consultant for the World Bank in South Asia and the Latin America and the Caribbean regions.
Click here to download my CV (last updated January 27, 2026).
NOTE: Thank you for your interest in our work! I am not accepting graduate students as a sole PhD or Master's advisor. I am happy to discuss committee participation or potential collaborations — please feel free to reach out.
Undergraduate Researcher
Are you a Barnard or Columbia undergraduate student in search of:
Senior thesis
Independent research for credit
Paid research
Volunteer research
Summer Research Institute experience
Reach out to Zoie to discuss opportunities available in the lab.
This could be you!
Postdoctoral Fellow
I am happy to host postdoctoral scholars who are applying for external fellowships, such as the:
You can learn about the benefits of a postdoc at Barnard here. I do not have my own funding to support postdoctoral fellows at the moment, but please check back for future updates or reach out to if you want to brainstorm.
Student Researchers 2026-2027
Anyiang Yak
Anyiang is a senior at Barnard double majoring in Environment & Sustainability and Computational Biology. At the Diana Lab, Anyiang’s research centers weathered paints as a microplastic. Prior to joining the Diana Lab, Anyiang studied the efficacy of different New York City Sustainability initiatives.
Adya is a junior majoring in Environmental Biology at Barnard College. Hailing from her hometown of Bellevue, Washington, she is interested in studying the intersection between science, technology, and policy. Her current research focus is studying the ecotoxicological effects of microplastics on Tubifex tubifex. Previous research experience includes work at the Hönisch Lab at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory in paleoceanography. Beyond academics, she is also a D1 Varsity diver for Columbia, listens to a whole lot of jazz, and loves to explore the outdoors!
Priyanshi Poddar (she/her) is a first-year student from Nepal who intends to study Environmental Science and Sustainability and Political Science. She is the founder of Project Saathi and is interested in environmental research focused on understanding and addressing challenges faced by vulnerable communities.
Gabriela Tobar (She/her/ella) is a Senior at Barnard College majoring in Environmental Science and Sustainability. She is involved in the Diana Lab, where she is completing her Senior Thesis on characterizing the polymer type, size, and morphology of macroplastics from seagull boluses in the Hudson River Park Trust to identify if these pellets can be used as bioindicators of local plastic pollution.
She has previous research experience at Columbia Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory in identifying hydrogen production in Oman through natural serpentinization. Apart from research, she is actively involved in Barnard's Student Government as the former Representative of Sustainable Initiatives and the current Vice President of Equity. She is also the Co-founder and President of Ballet Folklorico Cielito Azul at Columbia University!
Olivia Johnson (she/her) is a junior at Barnard College studying Environmental Science and Anthropology with a specialization in Political Ecology. She is interested in international climate policy, especially in relation to pollution and energy regulation. Before joining the Diana Lab, she worked as a Communications Intern at Earthjustice and an Environmental Storytelling Intern at Climate Resilient Communities. Her research project focuses on policy regarding paint microplastics and their effects on public health. Olivia can be contacted at opj2004@barnard.edu.