Catia Costa

Catia Costa is a Research Fellow at the University of Surrey's Ion Beam Centre, specializing in Forensic Science, Mass Spectrometry, and Chemistry. Her work focuses on advancing analytical techniques for forensic evidence analysis, drug testing, and biomedical applications. She has pioneered methods to distinguish drug administration from dermal contact using fingerprints and developed non-invasive monitoring tools for antipsychotic adherence and metabolomic profiling in diseases like cancer and COVID-19.

• Key Roles: Liaison Fellow at the Ion Beam Centre, leading projects in ion beam analysis and forensic imaging.
• Research Highlights:
  • ToF-SIMS enhancement of fingerprint recovery for crime scene analysis.
  • Spatially resolved lipidomics and multimodal imaging of biological tissues.
  • Development of fingerprint-based drug testing and metabolite detection.

Her contributions include over 50 peer-reviewed publications, advancing techniques like paper spray mass spectrometry and single-cell lipidomics. She collaborates with institutions globally to bridge forensic science, clinical diagnostics, and material analysis.