TIE Affiliation

Environmental Research Fellowship

Research

Through increasing industrialization, environmental lead contamination has shown to be of concern for humans, animals, and environmental health. While animals may acquire lead toxicity through soil and water sources, humans can additionally obtain lead toxicity through urban farming practices. However, there is currently a lack of information on the level of environmental lead contamination. Therefore, we will perform a geospatial assessment of environmental lead exposure risk in the urbanized city of Somerville, Massachusetts. Sampling of soil in Somerville will be interpolated and combined with other variables to create a risk map to identify environmental lead contamination hotspots in Somerville. Furthermore, this map - combined with demographic data and animal land-use data - will offer a means to educate the public on a sustainable future in urban farming, promote conservation, and further research across other cities.

Biography

A California native and recent graduate of the University of California – Davis, I received my Bachelor of Science in Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology with an emphasis in Wildlife Health. Prior to graduate school, I was exposed to a variety of animal-related experiences from working in a small animal emergency clinic to interning in a wildlife genetics laboratory. Now a candidate for my Master of Science in Conservation Medicine at the Cummings School, my interests have expanded to include public health, because I believe we cannot look at the health of humans, animals, and the environment separately.