Toxicology Laboratory Director

Christine Gardiner, Toxicology Lab Director

Christine Gardiner

Toxicology Laboratory Director
christine.gardiner@briwildlife.org

Christine comes to BRI from academia, formerly working at Dartmouth College in a marine ecotoxicology lab studying the bioaccumulation and uptake pathway of PFAS to determine their effect on aquatic food web dynamics and environmental health. Previously, she was trained as an environmental analytical chemist at the University of Rhode Island, as part of the first NIH Superfund Research Program on PFAS, where her research focused on PFAS sources and sinks, environmental detection tools, and hydrodynamic modeling. She has also worked with other contaminants, including mercury, PCBs, black carbon, and nutrients.

Christine joined BRI in the fall of 2025 in her role to oversee and expand BRI’s laboratory capabilities, with a particular focus on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance methodology and analysis. She also works on the strategic planning of the ecotoxicology program through grant writing, project development, and field work. She has a passion for research translation and science communication, along with fostering strong collaboration networks with stakeholders, state and federal agencies, and academic partners, for the benefit of environmental health policy and public advisories.

Education & Certifications

  • University of Rhode Island, 2019 – M.S. Chemical Oceanography
  • University of Rhode Island, 2017 – B.S. Marine Biology

Research Interests

  • Contaminant fate and transport
  • Bioaccumulation and uptake pathways
  • Environmental and analytical chemistry
  • Laboratory methodology, instrumentation, and detection

Journal Articles

  • Gardiner, C., Petali, J., Giffard, N., Fernando, S., Holsen, T., Romano, M., Chen C., Crawford, K. (2025) Evaluating the environmental occurrence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and potential risks for recreational shellfish harvesters in the Great Bay Estuary, New Hampshire. Science of the Total Environment.
  • Crawford, K., Gallagher, L., Giffard, N., Gardiner, C., Keirns, T., Fernando, S., Holsen, T., Petali, J., Chen, C., Romano, M. E. (2024). Patterns of Seafood Consumption Among New Hampshire Residents Suggest Potential Exposure to Per-and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances. Exposure and Health.
  • Gardiner, C., Robuck, A., Becanova, J., Cantwell, M., Kaserzon, S., Katz, D., Mueller, J., Lohmann, R. (2022). Field validation of a novel passive sampler for dissolved PFAS in surface waters. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry.
  • Katz, D., Sullivan, J., Rosa, K., Gardiner, C., Robuck, A., Lohmann, R., Kincaid, C., Cantwell, M. (2022). Transport and fate of aqueous film forming foam in an urban estuary. Environmental Pollution.