Toxicology Lab Manager; Wildlife Biologist
helen.yurek@briwildlife.org
207-839-7600

Helen received a B.S. in natural resources conservation with concentration in wildlife ecology from the University of Massachusetts Amherst in 2017. She began working for BRI as a seasonal field biologist in 2018 before joining full-time in 2020. As the manager of the toxicology lab, her work is primarily focused on contaminants research. She participates in the sampling of various avian species such as loons, waterfowl, and raptors. She is also involved in research regarding the mercury content of cosmetic skin lightening products.

Education

• B.S. Natural Resources Conservation, University of Massachusetts Amherst, 2017

Certifications 

• Maine State Boating Safety Certification, 2019
• Wilderness First Aid training, 2021

Research Interests

• Environmental toxicology and contaminants sampling and monitoring
• Mercury in skin-lightening cosmetics and artisanal and small-scaling gold mining
• Avian ecology and conservation

Sayers, C. J., … Yurek, H., and 15 others (2026). A field method to optimize dried blood spot sampling for mercury biomonitoring. bioRxiv, 2026-05.

Christian, L. D., … Yurek, H., and 6 others (2024). An evaluation of fish and invertebrate mercury concentrations in the Caribbean Region. Ecotoxicology, 33(4), 397-414.

Sayers, C. J., … Yurek, H., and 34 others (2023). Mercury in Neotropical birds: a synthesis and prospectus on 13 years of exposure data. Ecotoxicology, 32(8), 1096-1123.

Savoy, L., Yurek, H., et al. (annual reports 2019-2023). Evaluating the effectiveness of gull control as a management tool for increasing Common Eider duckling survival. Biodiversity Research Institute, Portland, ME United States.

Yurek, H., et al. (2026, March 26). Assessing PFAS exposure in two coastal bird species following a chemical spill into Casco Bay [Poster presentation]. 2026 Maine Sustainability & Water Conference, Augusta, ME, United States.

Gilham, C., Yurek, H., et al. (2026, March 26). Correlations among PFAS concentrations in water, fish, and predatory bird tissues: Implications for biomonitoring in aquatic environments [Poster presentation]. 2026 Maine Sustainability & Water Conference, Augusta, ME, United States.