D. George Dixon

Professor Dixon has more than 35 years experience in aquatic toxicology and environmental risk assessment.
Throughout his career, he has also served as an advisor on metal contamination issues to Environment Canada, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, the Department of Justice (Canada), the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U. S. National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, the Department of Justice (US) and the World Health Organization, among others.

He maintains an active research program, which at present is focused on development of methods for environmental effects monitoring, methods of assessing the environmental risks associated with exposure of aquatic organisms to metal mixtures, and on the aquatic environmental effects of oil sands extraction in northern Alberta.

• Effects of toxic chemicals, including metals and oilsands process water, on aquatic organisms, principally fish.
• Biotic modifying factors of toxicity.
• Development of methods for environmental effects monitoring.
• Physiologically based pharmacokinetic modelling of contaminant levels in fish.

• 1980 Ph.D. Biology, University of Guelph, Canada
• 1975 M.Sc. Ecology, Concordia University, Canada
• 1972 B.Sc. Science, Sir George Williams University, Canada

• 2000 Recipient of the University of Waterloo Award for Excellence in Research
• 1997 to date Listed in Canadian Who’s Who, University of Toronto Press
• 1993 J.C. Stevenson Memorial Lecturer, Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
• 1989 Ontario Ministry of the Environment Excellence in Research Award to Principle Investigators in Water Quality Research
• 1989 Recipient of the University of Waterloo Distinguished Teacher Award
• 1976-77, 1977-78, 1978-79 Noranda Graduate Research Fellowships

• 2018 Vice-President Academic & Provost
• 2007-2018 Vice-President, University Research
• Associate Editor of three scientific journals, including the Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences

• The Water Institute, member

• Leung, J., Witt, J.D., Norwood, W. and Dixon, D.G., 2016. Implications of Cu and Ni toxicity in two members of the Hyalella azteca cryptic species complex: Mortality, growth, and bioaccumulation parameters. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry.
• Ruffell, S.E., Frank, R.A., Woodworth, A.P., Bragg, L.M., Bauer, A.E., Deeth, L.E., Müller, K.M., Farwell, A.J., Dixon, D.G., Servos, M.R. and McConkey, B.J., 2016. Assessing the bioremediation potential of algal species indigenous to oil sands process-affected waters on mixtures of oil sands acid extractable organics. Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, 133, pp.373-380.
• Bauer, A.E., Frank, R.A., Headley, J.V., Peru, K.M., Hewitt, L.M. and Dixon, D.G., 2015. Enhanced characterization of oil sands acid‐extractable organics fractions using electrospray ionization–high‐resolution mass spectrometry and synchronous fluorescence spectroscopy. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, 34(5), pp.1001-1008.
• Ruffell, S.E., Frank, R.A., Woodworth, A.P., Bragg, L.M., Bauer, A.E., Deeth, L.E., Müller, K.M., Farwell, A.J., Dixon, D.G., Servos, M.R. and McConkey, B.J., 2016. Assessing the bioremediation potential of algal species indigenous to oil sands process-affected waters on mixtures of oil sands acid extractable organics. Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, 133, pp.373-380.