My background is from persistent environmental contaminants and their effects on endocrine systems and neural development in mammals; from polar bears to white mice.
I have experience from sampling and telemetry of wild animals, controlled lab studies of mammals, and the use of molecular and cellular methods. I have worked with marine environmental monitoring programs including sampling of sediments, water and biota for monitoring campaigns. I have led and reported environmental surveys for managing authorities as well as commercial and industrial clients.
In recent years my research focus has been on the occurrence and effects of plastics in the environment, from macroplastic pollution to microplastics. I have worked with method development for quantification of microplastics, mapping and quantification of microplastics in environmental samples such as seabed, rivers, soil, water, organisms and urban environments) and led the original study that detected plastics in wildlife as food for humans.
Uptake, distribution and fate in the food chain are among my most important areas of interest. I am co-founder of the North Atlantic Microplastic Center (NAMC) in 2020, where I am the center leader.
