Stig Hellebust

Dr. Stig Hellebust is a Lecturer in Physical Chemistry at the School of Chemistry, University College Cork (UCC), Ireland. Based in Room 206B of the Kane Building, he can be contacted at s.hellebust@ucc.ie or +353 214902680. His research focuses on atmospheric chemistry, environmental monitoring, and advanced data analysis techniques for understanding air quality and pollution sources across Ireland.

Dr. Hellebust's research interests span several key areas of environmental chemistry and data science:

• Atmospheric observational data analysis, particularly high-dimensional datasets collected over extended time periods
• Application of multivariate statistical methods and machine learning for environmental data interpretation
• Source apportionment of atmospheric pollutants using receptor modeling techniques
• Development of algorithms for processing large environmental datasets
• Application of clustering and classification techniques to identify pollution sources
• Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy data analysis

His extensive publication record demonstrates expertise in air quality monitoring, particularly focusing on PM2.5 sources, urban pollution dynamics, and health impacts. He frequently employs advanced statistical methods including principal component analysis (PCA), positive matrix factorization (PMF), and various machine learning approaches to extract meaningful information from complex environmental datasets. His work bridges atmospheric science, public health, and data analytics, with significant contributions to understanding Ireland's air quality challenges.

Dr. Hellebust has secured substantial research funding from multiple sources including the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Health Research Board, Science Foundation Ireland, and European Union programs. His current major projects include "Sources of PM2.5 in the Air of Irish Towns" (2024-2027, €233,796.00) and "Impact of Agricultural Emissions on Rural and Urban Air Quality" (2022-2025, €119,700.00), demonstrating his leadership in addressing critical environmental challenges.

He currently supervises doctoral student Rósín Eileen Byrne and has previously supervised Eimear Heffernan who completed her PhD in 2022 on "Spatial and temporal variation of ambient carbonaceous aerosol in Ireland and strategies for effective monitoring of source contributions." His mentorship extends to interdisciplinary research connecting chemistry, environmental science, and public health.

Dr. Hellebust is an active member of UCC's Atmospheric and Environmental Chemistry research group, collaborating with colleagues across Ireland and internationally on air quality monitoring and pollution source identification projects. His work has significant policy implications for urban planning, public health interventions, and environmental regulation in Ireland and beyond.