Tamara Susan Galloway OBE | |
|---|---|
| Alma mater | University of Glasgow (BS) University of Edinburgh (PhD) |
| Known for | Microplastics |
| Awards | Order of the British Empire (2019) Volvo Environment Prize (2022)[1] |
| Scientific career | |
| Institutions | University of Exeter University of Plymouth |
Tamara Susan GallowayOBE is a Britishmarine scientist and Professor ofEcotoxicology at theUniversity of Exeter. She was appointed anOfficer of the Order of the British Empire in the2019 Birthday Honours.
Galloway studiedbiochemistry at theUniversity of Glasgow.[2] She graduated withfirst-class honours in 1983, and was awarded the Norman Davidson Memorial medal. Galloway moved to theUniversity of Edinburgh for her graduate studies, and earned her PhD in 1986.[2] She took an extensive career break between 1990 and 1997 during which she carried out a number of part-time positions, including as a research assistant to the Nobel LaureatePeter D. Mitchell at the Glynn Research Institute, atGlynn House, inCornwall.[2]
Galloway's research considers the biological impact of environmental change on human populations.[3] Since 2003, Galloway has worked withRichard Thompson at theUniversity of Plymouth on the impact of plastics in the environment.[4] Together they worked to quantify the contamination ofmicroplastics.[5]
She became interested in the impacts of plastics onhealth and moved to theUniversity of Exeter in 2007.[4] Here she worked with theUniversity of Exeter Medical School onBisphenol A, which is a compound that is found in food and drink packaging.[4] She used theNational Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), which was the first to collect information on urinary BPA concentrations.[3] Galloway identified thatBisphenol A, which is detectable in 90% of adults, can cause increased risk ofheart disease,diabetes andliver disease.[4][6] She continued to investigateBisphenol A, demonstrating that urinary concentrations are independently associated withcardiovascular disease.[3][7][8] She conducted a study with theBritish Heart Foundation that involved over 1,600 patients, which confirmed thatBisphenol A accelerates the progression ofheart disease by ten years.[3] Galloway's work onBisphenol A was covered inThe Naked Scientists,Chemistry World and inUSA Today.[9][10][11]
Galloway is an expert inmicroplastics.[12] Galloway predicted thatmicroplastics would have an impact on the marine food chain.[13] She has primarily looked at the impact of micro- and nano-plastics, finding that they can stop animals from feeding on their natural prey. Galloway demonstrated that this likely impacts the rest of the food chain, estimating thatshellfish consumed by humans contained around 50 particles of plastic.[14] She found that oneshower could result in 100,000 microbeads ending up in theocean.[15] The work was used for the basis of theUnited Kingdom law that bansmicrobeads, which protects the environment from several thousand tonnes ofmicrobeads every year. So far, she has foundmicroplastics in every seawater sample that she has analysed.[16]
Galloway provided evidence to a cross-party committee on theenvironment.[14] Her research was used in theGovernment of the United Kingdom reportA Green Future: Our 25 Year Plan to Improve the Environment.[17] Galloway worked with Zero Plastic Waste andPolicy Connect to investigate how it would be possible to eliminateplastic waste from theUnited Kingdom.[18] She is a member of theScience Advice for Policy by European Academies group onmicroplastics in nature.[19] Galloway served on the advisory board ofBlue Planet II.[13]
She is on the editorial board ofChemosphere.[20]
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