Paul’s research primarily revolves around the implementation of microbiological and bioinformatic methods, such as metagenomics, amplicon sequencing, and qPCR, to investigate microbial life present in the Great Lakes. He earned his M.S. in Earth and Environmental Sciences from the University of Michigan in 2024, employing metagenomic tools to characterize saxitoxin biosynthesis in Western Lake Erie.

In his previous role as a research specialist with CIGLR from 2018 to 2022, Paul analyzed ‘omics datasets collected by uncrewed systems. From 2015 to 2018, he served as a research associate in the DeLong Lab at the University of Hawai’i. Paul earned a B.S. in Geological Science with a concentration in Oceanography from the University of Michigan in 2013, where he conducted research on harmful algal blooms (HABs) and the coral disease known as black band disease following graduation.