Simone Heilgeist

Dr. Simone Heilgeist is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI), affiliated with the Shelf Sea System Ecology team at the AWI Marine Station Helgoland. Her research focuses on aquatic pollution, environmental management, microplastics, nanoparticles, and analytical chemistry. She is currently involved in the MICROLAKE project, investigating contaminants in aquatic environments using advanced analytical techniques and systems approaches.

Her work emphasizes understanding nanoparticle behavior in water systems, particularly titanium dioxide nanoparticles from sunscreens in swimming pools. She employs dynamic modeling, single-particle analysis, and laser ablation techniques to trace contaminant pathways. Additionally, she has contributed to interdisciplinary studies, such as modeling the complexity of the COVID-19 pandemic through causal loop diagrams.

Dr. Heilgeist’s research bridges environmental science, analytical chemistry, and systems engineering, addressing pressing issues like nanoparticle pollution and sustainable water management. She collaborates with institutions on projects that combine experimental and computational methods to tackle environmental challenges.