Alexander van Geen

Alexander van Geen

Research Interest

Biography

My research focuses on reducing the impact of the environment on human health. A theme that runs through my current projects (e.g. arsenic or fluoride in groundwater in South Asia, bauxite dust in Guinea, or soil contaminated with lead from mining in Peru) is that patterns of contamination are spatially very heterogeneous. This complicates prediction but often also points the way to mitigation when the hazard can be mapped. For this reason, I promote the more widespread use of field kits by non-specialists. I collaborate with public health and social scientists to deploy such kits.

Education

PhD Oceanography, Massachusetts Institute of Technology-Woods Hole Oceanography

BS Chemistry, BS Oceanography, University of Washington