Patricia Corcoran

Dr. Patricia Corcoran is a Professor and Department Chair in the Department of Earth Sciences at Western University, Canada. Her research focuses on sedimentary petrology, plastic pollution, and Precambrian geology, with a particular emphasis on understanding the distribution, accumulation, and degradation of anthropogenic materials in natural environments. She leads investigations into microplastic contamination in freshwater and marine systems, including the Laurentian Great Lakes and Hudson Bay, and co-developed the concept of plastiglomerate—a novel rock type formed by the fusion of plastic waste and volcanic materials. Her work bridges geological processes and human impact, with studies on Paleoproterozoic sedimentary structures and their modern analogs. Dr. Corcoran is affiliated with the Richard W. Hutchinson Geoscience Collaborative Suite and teaches courses on sedimentary petrology and field mapping. She actively contributes to interdisciplinary initiatives addressing plastics pollution and public outreach through workshops and community engagement.

Her educational background includes a Ph.D. from Dalhousie University (2001). She oversees laboratories in Biological and Geological Sciences Building (BGS 1024) and the Biotron facility. Notable publications include analyses of microplastic distribution in Lake Huron, the role of microbial activity in Paleoproterozoic sediments, and the implications of plastic debris for the geological record. She collaborates internationally on projects examining microplastic uptake in fish and the geochemical cycles influencing plastic degradation. Her research is supported by grants focusing on environmental sustainability and anthropogenic impacts on Earth systems.