Mari Herigstad

Mari Herigstad is a Senior Lecturer at the School of Biosciences and Chemistry, part of the College of Health, Wellbeing and Life Sciences at Sheffield Hallam University. She leads the Sheffield CO Research Group, focusing on the impact of carbon monoxide (CO) on physiology and pathophysiology, with a multidisciplinary approach combining MRI, EEG, and cell culture models. Her research spans cardiovascular development, neuroscience, and environmental health effects of air pollution.

Education: CandMag (Biology) from Norwegian University of Science and Technology; DPhil in Physiology from the University of Oxford (2008). Postdoctoral work included studies at the Nuffield Department of Anaesthetics and Oxford Centre for Clinical Magnetic Resonance Research. Prior roles include Research Fellow at Oxford Brookes University (2014–2016) and work at the University of Sheffield (2016–2019).

Teaching responsibilities include modules on Anatomy and Physiology, Neurobiology, Pathology, and Imaging Technologies. Research collaborations involve Prof Marysia Placzek (University of Sheffield) and Dr Chris Morris (University of Newcastle), with funding from the CO Research Trust and Kane International Ltd.

Publications emphasize CO exposure effects on fetal development, neural activation, and COPD symptomology. Her work addresses global health concerns linked to air pollution, particularly CO's role in cardiovascular diseases and vascular dementia. Current projects investigate CO's impact on brain and cardiovascular systems using human volunteers and animal models.