Charley Moeller

Charley Moeller is a graduate researcher in the Carlson Lab at California State University, Long Beach, where she studies how viruses shape marine microbial communities. Her research focuses on diatom-virus interactions and uses molecular and imaging-based approaches such as the polony method to quantify single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) virus populations in ocean samples.

Outside the lab, Charley serves as the Education and Training Chair for the CSULB Biotechnology Club, where she helps students build confidence in their technical and professional skills through hands-on workshops and mentorship programs. She has presented her work at several university research symposia and was a finalist in the Biological and Agricultural Sciences category at the 2025 CSULB Student Research Competition.

Charley earned her B.S. in Marine Biology and Biological Oceanography from California State University, Long Beach. She enjoys bridging her love of the ocean with hands-on molecular work to better understand the microbial life that drives marine ecosystems.