Michael Gallen

Dr. Michael Gallen is an Analytical Chemist at the Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS), The University of Queensland, specializing in environmental contaminant analysis using advanced chromatography and mass spectrometry techniques. He joined QAEHS in 2013 and manages the Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS) arm of the research group, focusing on non-polar chemical targets such as PBDEs, PCBs, dioxins, organochlorine pesticides, and PAHs.

• Education: PhD in Organic Chemistry (Natural Product Synthesis, 2008), The University of Queensland.
• Professional Roles: Former Forensic Chemist at Queensland Health (2009–2013), now leading GC-MS operations at QAEHS.

His research spans environmental contaminant quantification, including microplastics in seafood and biosolids, PFASs in estuarine systems, and persistent pollutants from fires and landfill leachate. His work employs high-resolution GC-MS, triple quadrupole GC-MS/MS, and GC-Orbitrap instruments. Article trends highlight expertise in pyrolysis-GC-MS for plastic analysis, passive sampling for water quality, and toxicology of environmental chemicals in human and wildlife samples.

Dr. Gallen's technical contributions include method development for rapid non-destructive testing of brominated flame retardants and surface oxidation effects on microplastic quantification. He collaborates extensively on multidisciplinary projects addressing chemical persistence, exposure pathways, and environmental health risks.