Education:
Ph. D. in Materials Science and Engineering, The University of Texas at El Paso 2016
M.S. in Metallurgy and Materials Engineering, The University of Texas at El Paso 2009
B.S. in Chemistry, The University of Texas at El Paso 2006

Station career:

Post-doctoral Scientist, 2016-2018
Assistant Scientist II, 2018-Present

Past and current research:

As an undergraduate, Nubia conducted research on the use of plants to remove heavy metals from the environment (phytoremediation). During her master studies, she explored the inclusion of a growth factor into poly(ethylene glycol) hydrogels by stereolithography (additive manufacturing) for nerve tissue regeneration purposes. She then entered the industrial sector as a components engineer at Cordis de Mexico, back then a Johnson & Johnson Co.  At Cordis, Nubia and her team worked on the manufacture of angioplasty balloons for the production of catheters. Going back to the academia, she started researching the role of engineered nanomaterials in plants. Her postdoctoral work continued in the field of nanomaterials in edible crops.  In addition, her work helped on validating the analysis of mycotoxins in animal feeds by liquid chromatography tandem-mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Currently, she is beginning to investigate contaminants of emerging concern such as microplastics, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances.

Selected publications:

Selected Papers (for reprints, please contact Nubia.Zuverza@ct.gov):

• Zuverza-Mena, N. and White, J.C. Engineered nanomaterials in terrestrial systems: Interactions with co-existing contaminants and trophic transfer. Curr. Opin. Environ. Sci. Heal. 2018, 6, 60-65.
  
  
• De La Torre Roche, R.; Pagano, L.; Majumdar, S.; Eitzer, B.D.; Zuverza-Mena, N.; Ma, C.; Servin, A.; Marmiroli, N.; Parkash Dhankker, O.; White, J.C. Co-exposure of imidacloprid and nanoparticle Ag or CeO₂ to Cucurbita pepo (zucchini): Contaminant bioaccumulation and translocation. NanoImpact. 2018, 11, 136-145
  
  
• Borgatta, J.; Ma, C.; Hudson-Smith, N.; Elmer, W.; Plaza Pérez, C.D.; De La Torre-Roche, R.;  Zuverza-Mena, N.; Haynes, C.L.; White, J.C. and Hamers, R.J. Copper nanomaterials suppress root fungal disease in watermelon (Citrullus lanatus): Role of particle morphology, composition and dissolution behavior. 2018. Submitted to: ACS Sustain. Chem. Eng.
  
  
• Medina-Velo, I.A.; Zuverza-Mena, N.; Tamez, C.; Ye, Y.; Hernandez-Viezcas. J.A.; White, J.C.; Peralta-Videa, J.R.; Gardea-Torresdey, J.L. Minimal transgenerational effect of ZnO nanomaterials on the physiology and nutrient profile of Phaseolus vulagaris. 2018. ACS Sustain. Chem. Eng. 2018, 6, 7924-7930.
  
  
• Ochoa, L; Zuverza-Mena, N.; Medina-Velo, I.A.; Flores-Margez, J.P.; Peralta-Videa, J.R.; Gardea-Torresdey, J.L. Copper oxide nanoparticles and bulk copper oxide, combined with indole-3-acetic acid, alter aluminum, boron, and iron in Pisum sativum seeds. Sci. Total Environ. 2018, 634, 1238-1245
  
  
• Pagano, L.; Pasquali, F.; Majumdar, S.; De La Torre-Roche, R.; Zuverza-Mena, N.; Villani, M.; Zappettini, A.; Marra, R.E.; Isch, S.M.; Marmiroli, M.; Maestri, E.; Parkash Dhankher, O.; White, J.C. and Marmiroli, N. Exposure of Cucurbita pepo to binary combinations of engineered nanomaterials: physiological and molecular response. Environ Sci Nano, 2017, 4, 1579-1590.
  
  
• Elmer, W.H.; De La Torre-Roche, R.; Pagano, L.; Majumdar, S.; Zuverza-Mena, N.; Dimkpa, C.; Gardea-Torresdey, J. L. and White, J. C. Effect of metalloid and metal oxide nanoparticles on Fusarium wilt of watermelon. Plant Dis. 2018, accepted for publication.
  
  
• Keller, A.A.; Adeleye, A.S.; Conway, J.R.; Garner, K.L.; Zhao, L.; Cherr, G.; Hong, J.; Gardea-Torresdey, J.L.; Godwin, H.; Hanna, S.; Ji, Z.; Kaweeteerawat, C.; Lin, S.; Lenihan, H.S.; Miller, R.J.; Nel, A.E.; Peralta-Videa, J.R.; Walker, S.L.; Taylor, A.A.; Torres-Duarte, C..; Zink, J.I.; Zuverza-Mena, N. Comparative environmental fate and toxicity of copper nanomaterials. NanoImpact. 2017, 7, 28-40.
  
  
• Medina-Velo, I.A.; Barrios, A.C.; Zuverza-Mena, N.; Hernandez-Viezcas, J.A.; Chang, C.H.; Ji, Z.; Zink, J.I.; Peralta-Videa, J.R. and Gardea-Torresdey, J.L. Comparison of the effects of commercial coated and uncoated ZnO nanomaterials and Zn compounds in kidney bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) plants. J. Hazard. Mater. 2017, 332, 214-222.
  
  
• Tan, W.; Du, W.; Barrios, A.C.; Armendariz, R.; Zuverza-Mena, N.; Ji, Z.; Chang, C.H.; Zink, J.I.; Hernandez-Viezcas, J.A.; Peralta-Videa, J.R. and Gardea-Torresdey, J. L. Surface coating changes the physiological and biochemical impacts of nano-TiO₂ in basil (Ocimum basilicum) plants. Environ. Pollut. 2017, 222, 64-72.
  
  
• Barrios, A. C.; Medina-Velo, I. A.; Zuverza-Mena, N.; Dominguez, O. E.; Peralta-Videa, J. R.; Gardea-Torresdey, J. L. Nutritional quality assessment of tomato fruits after exposure to uncoated and citric acid coated cerium oxide nanoparticles, bulk cerium oxide, cerium acetate and citric acid. Plant Physiol. Biochem. 2016, 110, 100-107.
  
  
• Medina-Velo, I.A.; Zuverza-Mena, N.; Tan, W.; Hernandez-Viezcas, J.A.; Peralta-Videa, J.R.; Gardea-Torresdey, J.L. Chapter 3. Biophysical methods of detection and quantification of uptake, translocation and accumulation of nanoparticles. In: Kole, C., Kumar, D. S., Khodakovskaya, M.V. (Eds.) Plant Nanotechnology - Principles and Practices, Springer-Verlag GmbH, Berlin, Germany. 2016
  
  
• Zuverza-Mena, N.; Martínez-Fernández, D.; Du, W.C.; Hernandez-Viezcas, J.A.; Bonilla-Bird, N.; López-Moreno, M.L.; Komárek, M.; Peralta-Videa, J.R.; Gardea-Torresdey, J.L.  Exposure of engineered nanomaterials to plants: Insights into the physiological and biochemical responses-A Review. Plant Physiol. Biochem. 2017, 110, 236-264.
  
  
• Zuverza-Mena, N.; Armendariz, R.; Peralta-Videa, J.R.; Gardea-Torresdey, J.L. Effects of silver nanoparticles on radish sprouts: Root growth reduction and modifications in the nutritional value. Front. Plant Sci. 2016, 7.
  
  
• Zuverza-Mena, N.; Medina-Velo, I.A.; Barrios, A.C.; Tan, W.; Peralta-Videa, J.R.; Gardea-Torresdey, J.L. Copper nanoparticles/compounds impact agronomic and physiological parameters in cilantro (Coriandrum sativum). Env. Sci. Process Impact. 2015. 17, 1783-1793.
  
  
• Castillo-Michel, H.A.; Zuverza-Mena, N.; Parsons, J.G.; Dokken, K.M.; Duarte-Gardea, M.; Peralta-Videa, J.R.; Gardea-Torresdey, J.L. Accumulation, speciation, and coordination of arsenic in an inbred line and a wild type cultivar of the desert plant species Chilopsis linearis (Desert willow). Phytochemistry, 2009, 70, 540-545.