Originally from Mazatlan, Mexico, Jade Sainz graduated from the University of Sinaloa with a BS in biology in 2008. She then worked for the National Commission of Fisheries and Aquaculture of Mexico (CONAPESCA), where she used GIS tools to analyze fisheries and aquaculture projects, reported on the results of the Commission's programs, participated in the development new regulations for the exploitation of marine resources, and contributed to a national database on how to improve the practicality and accessibility of the fishery and aquaculture activities.

She was awarded with the Latin American Fishery Fellowship to undertake master’s studies at the Bren School of the Environmental Science & Management. In her fellowship, she collaborated to develop and implement a project to perform tradeoff analyses of conservation policies for the critically endangered Vaquita, in partnership with WWF Mexico.

While completing her master’s as a Fellow, Jade interned at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, participating in the preparation and submission of a global project titled “Sustainable Management of Bycatch in Latin American and Caribbean Trawl Fisheries” where she collaborated with fisheries authorities from numerous Latin American countries involved in the project.

Jade is a PhD student in Dr. Steven Gaines' lab, under co-advisory from Dr. Hunter Lenihan. She is exploring research interests focused on obtaining an accurate understanding of coastal marine ecosystem functioning, and how human interaction, particulary fisheries activities, impact ecosystem dynamics in the Gulf of California and the Mexican Pacific.