Biography

I work with contaminants of emerging concern, which are chemicals that are not regulated and are not included in routine monitoring programs. My research focuses on water quality assessment including antimicrobial resistance, contaminants in ecosystems, and wastewater-based epidemiology. To achieve my research goals, I use high-resolution mass spectrometry, non-target screening, and modeling techniques such as machine learning and deep learning.

One of my most significant achievements is the creation of the Digital Sample Freezing Platform (https://dsfp.norman-data.eu/), which is a core component of the NORMAN Database System (NDS). NDS is a pan-European effort to gain better insights into chemicals in the environment and beyond. Through my publications, I have demonstrated the potential of retrospective suspect screening to revolutionize environmental chemical monitoring. For example, in the context of the LIFE APEX project (https://lifeapex.eu/), retrospective suspect screening has been used on data from top predator and prey samples retrieved from Environmental Specimen Banks (ESBs) and Natural History Museums (NHMs), as well as in wastewater treatment plants in the context of the ANSWER project (http://www.answer-itn.eu/). However, my research goes beyond the environment and expands to food and human biomonitoring through the European Partnership for the Assessment of Risks from Chemicals (PARC project; https://www.eu-parc.eu/).

I analyze LC and GC-HRMS data using state-of-the-art analytical equipment and cutting-edge data processing tools. I also collaborate with experts from Europe and beyond through the NORMAN network (www.norman-network.net). If you want to learn more about my work, please feel free to contact me on social media (Twitter: @nikiforosgr, LinkedIn: @nalygizakis).