Russell Pickford

Dr. Russell Pickford is a Senior Research Fellow in mass spectrometry at the Biomolecular Mass Spectrometry Facility (BMSF), part of the Mark Wainwright Analytical Centre (MWAC) at the University of New South Wales (UNSW). His career includes roles as a Postdoctoral Researcher (2003–2006), Mass Spectrometry Applications Specialist at ThermoFisher Scientific (2007–2008), Team Leader at BMSF (2008–2010), Lecturer at the University of Western Sydney (2010–2011), and Research Fellow at UNSW (2011–2018).

Education:

• MChem Chemistry, University of Sheffield, UK (1999)
• MSc Analytical Chemistry, University of Warwick, UK (2000)
• PhD Chemistry, UMIST, UK (2003)

His research advances mass spectrometric techniques for biological problem-solving, focusing on:

• Metabolite profiling (metabolomics/lipidomics)
• Targeted quantitative analysis of metabolites
• LC/sample preparation optimization for biological samples
• Integration of cutting-edge MS technologies

Recent publications emphasize neurodegenerative diseases (e.g., Parkinson’s), environmental PFAS degradation, cancer epigenetics, and reproductive lipidomics. Work frequently employs high-resolution Orbitrap MS, machine learning, and interdisciplinary approaches spanning biochemistry, oncology, and environmental science.

No awards or supervised students are documented. He operates from UNSW’s Biological Sciences Building (E26) and collaborates within MWAC—Australia’s largest shared analytical facility.