I am a biogeochemist - that is, I study how organisms and materials (studied chemically) interact in earth surface environments. My lab and I use the concepts and tools of chemistry, geology and biology in these studies and we place special focus on the comparison and coupling of oceanic to terrestrial processes.

One major topic I study is the bioavailability of nutritional and toxic materials (e.g., how organisms are able to glean nutrients from or be exposed to toxins) in an environmental matrix such as water or sediment. My group also studies the global carbon cycle with a focus on how the interaction between organic matter and minerals enables preservation and/or burial of organic carbon in the ocean.