Originally from Puerto Rico, Emanuel graduated in 2021 from University of Wisconsin-Madison with a B.S. in Molecular Biology and a certificate in Computer Science. At UW-Madison, he conducted research on the molecular factors involved in establishing animal-bacterial interactions using the Hawaiian Bobtail squid and its sole-symbiont Vibrio fischeri. ​In addition, he developed various computational methods for analyzing high-throughput sequencing data that can be easily deployed and require minimal bioinformatic knowledge. Outside of science, Emanuel works on diversity and inclusion efforts that aim to increase representation in academia.