Lesley A Warren

Lesley A Warren is an Adjunct Professor in the Earth, Environment & Society department at McMaster University. With over 25 years of scholarly activity, her research bridges geomicrobiology and environmental geochemistry, focusing on microbial interactions with minerals, sulfur cycling, and biogeochemical processes in mining-impacted and oil sands environments.

• Key Research Themes:
  • Sulfur oxidation and acid generation in mining systems
  • Bioremediation strategies for alkaline tailings and bauxite residue
  • Microbial biofilm dynamics and metal geochemistry
  • Phage interactions with freshwater SAR11 bacteria
  • Geochemical modeling of pit lakes and oil sands reclamation
• Methodologies:
  • Soft X-ray spectromicroscopy
  • Isotopic fractionation analysis
  • Two-dimensional gas chromatography
  • Mass balance and biogeochemical modeling

Recent publications highlight her work on phage-host interactions in methane oxidation, predictive tools for sulfur oxidation risks, and cascading biogeochemical processes in oil sands pit lakes. Her interdisciplinary approach has significant implications for environmental management and planetary science, including Mars biomarker studies.