Ed Wirth Email & Phone Number

Charleston, South Carolina Area

This position involves the day to day duties of leading and overseeing a team of environmental and analytical chemists conducting chemical contaminant analysis on samples collected throughout the US. The Chemical Contaminants Research Program focuses on analytical method development and environmental contaminant assessment while striving to collaborate with various federal, state and academic partners in the quantification of chemical contaminants (both emerging and historical) found in the environment. This position specifically integrates the Estuaries and Land Use Division of CCEHBR within the NOAA Center for Human Health Risk at the Hollings Marine Laboratory (HML). HML has been identified as a regional research Center of Excellence for NOAA’s Oceans and Human Health Initiative. With this research focus, the CCR lead serves as the Principle Investigator for the Environmental Chemistry Core within this Center’s OHH initiatives focusing on analytical questions related to emerging contaminants of concern. Duties for this position include new project planning, project administration/overview, the evaluation of project QA/QC, data reporting, staff/administrative leadership, and identifying new research initiatives with other OHHI researchers and centers. In addition to these stated tasks, the position of CCR Lead is highly involved in presenting data at scientific meetings and writing manuscripts or reports as needed.

This position served as a senior scientist in the Ecotoxicology Program at CCEHBR. In this position, duties included the development of biomolecular/physiological markers of endocrine disruption in crustaceans exposed chronically to contaminants. Additional duties included experimental planning and testing contaminant effects on estuarine species (fish, shrimp, and molluscs) under a variety of exposure types (acute and chronic bioassays in a laboratory and mesocosm setting). In order to complete these bioassays, this position demanded collaboration and interaction with students and researchers from other institutions, as well as daily mentoring of students and contractors within the research group. Highlights of the collaborative nature of this position include serving as a senior author on a funded grant through EPA focusing on endocrine disrupting chemicals ($1,350,000) and leading a national workshop that examined the utility of using grass shrimp as an indicator species for toxicological testing. This position required report, grant and peer-reviewed manuscript writing as well presentations at regional, national and international scientific meetings. In order to successfully complete the written assignments, research data generated by the group was analyzed and summarized using a variety of software packages (SAS, SigmaStat, JMP, Excel). In addition to the scientific responsibilities, ad-hoc assignments related to the production of scientific talks (slides) and presentations (posters, public outreach) were completed as requested.

Phd, Publich Health / Environmental Toxicology

Ms, Marine Science

Bs, Biochemistry