About
Christine earned her undergraduate degree in Chemistry and Biology from the University of Wisconsin-Superior. While earning her degree, she was employed as a student assistant at the Lake Superior Research Institute (LSRI). Working at LSRI gave her the opportunity to experience a variety of types of environmental research and made it clear to her that was the type of career she was interested in pursuing. Christine earned an M.S. degree in Fisheries from the University of Minnesota-St. Paul in 1997. Her dissertation research was on the role bile acids play as migratory cues in sea lamprey, which was a part of the larger question of how sea lamprey populations could be controlled aside from the use of lampricides. Her areas of expertise include mercury contamination in the 1837 and 1842 Treaty ceded territories.
Christine enjoys spending time outdoors hiking, kayaking and fishing. She also enjoys reading, baking and cooking.
Research Interests
Christine is interested in research related to monitoring environmental contaminants such as heavy metals and how these toxicants may impact human, fish and wildlife populations. She is also interested in research on preventing the spread of invasive species. This includes testing potential ballast water treatment processes for effectiveness and determining whether they cause residual toxicity. She enjoys working with undergraduate students to teach them good scientific research methods.
Publications
- Moses, S.K., C.N.Polkinghorne, W.P.Mattes, K.M.Beesley. 2018. Spatial and Ontogenetic Variation in Mercury in Lake Superior Basin Sea Lamprey (Petromyzon marinus). Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology. 100: 95-100.
Education
- 1997 – Master of Science (M.S.) – Fisheries, University of Minnesota
- 1994 – Bachelor of Science (B.S.) – Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Superior