Research

The chemistry of exposure, measured precisely.

Quantifying environmental toxicants in human matrices — and connecting that exposure to biological effect and health risk.

Major research interests

Where the work concentrates

Analytical Chemistry Organochlorine Pesticides Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons Heavy Metals Oxidative Stress Gas Chromatography Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy Health-Risk Assessment Laboratory Quality Management ISO/IEC 17025:2017 ISO 9001:2015 Internal Audit & QA

Analytical toxicology

Estimating toxicants in blood, tissue & other matrices

Organochlorine pesticides

Estimation of organochlorine pesticides and their metabolites in blood, tissue, and other matrices using GLC, HPLC, and GC-MS.

Heavy & essential metals

Estimation of copper, zinc, lead, calcium, selenium, and iron in blood and tissue using atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) and ICP.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

Estimation of PAHs in blood, tissue, and other matrices — including placental tissue — using high-performance liquid chromatography.

Biochemical assays

From exposure to biological effect

Target-enzyme and oxidative-stress assays that link a measured toxicant burden to its effect on human biochemistry.

  • Target enzymes — blood & tissue cholinesterases
  • Glutathione (GSH) & Glutathione-S-transferase (GST)
  • Glutathione peroxidase (GPx) & reductase (GR)
  • Superoxide dismutase (SOD) & catalase
  • Malondialdehyde (MDA) — lipid peroxidation
  • DPPH radical-scavenging assay
  • DTT (dithiothreitol) assay
  • Oxidative potential of particulate matter

Techniques well known

Instrumentation

UV / VIS Spectrophotometer Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer Flame & GTA Gas–Liquid Chromatography GC-ECD Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry GC-MS High-Performance Liquid Chromatography HPLC-UV, HPLC-FD Oxidative-stress parameters enzymes & biomolecules

Data & statistics

Statistical software & methods

SYSTAT SPSS Logistic Regression Decision-Tree Methods ARIMA Time-Series Forecasting

Research themes

Bodies of work

Pesticides & breast cancerOrganochlorine burden in blood, tumour and adipose tissue, and its relation to estrogen-receptor status.
Pollutants & pregnancyPrenatal exposure to DDT/HCH and PAHs, and the risk of pre-term birth and altered birth outcomes.
Metals in placentaLead and essential metals in placental tissue and their association with low birth weight.
Particulate matterVariability and oxidative potential of PM1.0 and PM2.5 and pregnancy-associated metal exposure.
Browse all 26 publications →

Collaborate

Have an analytical or toxicology problem to solve?

Open to research collaboration, method development, peer review, and speaking.

Start a conversation →