I am an aquatic biogeochemist broadly interested in iron (Fe) and organic carbon (OC) cycling in aquatic environments. In my current postdoc project, I study how Fe influences processes such as photochemical transformation, aggregation, and sediment preservation of OC in lakes. The close interlinkage between the biogeochemical cycles of Fe and OC has implications for the fate of these elements in freshwaters, and for an ongoing process of increasing water color in many northern freshwaters, a phenomenon known as brownification. In this project, I combine field studies and laboratory experiments to gain a deeper understanding of how the fluxes and chemical speciation of Fe and OC in lakes respond to changes in light and pH regimes, as well as microbial activity.

In my research I use various geochemical methods, including synchrotron-based techniques (XAS), to characterize Fe and OC speciation and understand how different chemical forms of these elements behave in natural waters. Paleolimnological investigations of lake sediment records to gain information on past changes in lake water chemistry have also been an important and exciting tool in my research.