Research Interests
Michael’s MSc research, co-supervised by Mark Hewitt of Environment and Climate Change Canada (Burlington), focused on the development of analytical methods to measure retinoids in fish and evaluate their potential application as bioindicators of environmental pollution. His work addressed key gaps in the ability to accurately quantify vitamin A compounds in aquatic organisms and assess how environmental stressors may influence hepatic retinoid status.
The research centred on improving analytical approaches for the detection of multiple retinoid classes in fish liver tissue using liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). By optimizing extraction and instrumental methods, he developed a more sensitive and selective workflow for measuring retinoids and dehydroretinoids in small tissue samples, overcoming limitations associated with traditional spectrophotometric techniques.
The method was applied to archived fish tissues from impacted freshwater systems to examine differences in hepatic retinoid profiles across sites and species. These analyses demonstrated variation in retinoid and dehydroretinoid distributions associated with environmental conditions, supporting their potential use in ecological assessment and biomonitoring applications.
Following his MSc, Michael joined Environment and Climate Change Canada as an Analytical Chemist, where he continues to work in environmental analytical chemistry.
