Dr. Ana I. Catarino is a Named Postdoctoral Research Associate on the RealRiskNano project at Heriot-Watt University (HWU)

Project: Distinguishing the realistic environmental risks of nanoplastics by investigating fate and toxicology in real-world scenarios (RealRiskNano); ref. # NE/N006526/1;

Principal Investigator: Dr. Ted Henry

Dr. Catarino has a strong interest on the impact of anthropogenic activities on aquatic ecosystems, with a special focus on physiological effects on marine organisms. Her investigation focuses on the toxicological effects of micro- and nanoplastics (MPs and NPs) in fish and marine invertebrates in the presence and absence of associated microorganisms. Ana is interested in investigating the effects of particles ingestion on the energy budget of aquatic organisms and on the assessing the bioavailability of co-contaminants associated to MP/NPs. In her previous project, MARMICROTOX, she worked on the presence of MPs in marine organisms and into assessing the bioavailability of associated co-contaminants using molecular biomarkers.

Previously, Dr. Catarino worked on metal bioaccumulation on echinoderms and the effects of global warming and ocean acidification in sea urchins at the Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium. Ana has worked in collaboration with the Instituto Antártico Chileno and Universidad de Magallanes and speaks fluently four languages (Portuguese, English, Spanish and French). She has a strong interest in science outreach and public engagement and has collaborated with the HWU Athena SWAN, Our Dynamic Earth (science museum, Edinburgh), the European Commission and she is the Project Leader of Native Scientist in Scotland, a volunteer based network of international scientists created to tackle educational disadvantage through science outreach. She tweets @Zebrazuli. She is a member of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) and the Scottish Microplastic Research Group, a Community Project under the MASTS Marine Biodiversity, Function & Services Theme.

Selected outputs:

Catarino AI, Thompson RC, Sanderson W, Henry TB. 2017. Development and optimization of a standard method for extraction of microplastics in mussels by enzyme digestion of soft tissues. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 36(4):947-951

Catarino AI, Antunes M, Ramalho M, Dunnett F, Patsiou D, Henry TB. 2017. Effects of Ingested Microplastics with Sorbed Triclosan on Fish Gut Health and Assessment of Triclosan Bioavailability. Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, European SETAC Annual Meeting, Brussels, Belgium (poster presentation)

Catarino AI, Puchades E, Antunes M, Ramalho M, Henry TB. 2017. Effect of the Presence of Biofilms on Sorption/Desorption of Cadmium to Microplastics in Aqueous Phase. Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, European SETAC Annual Meeting, Brussels, Belgium (poster presentation)

Summers S, Al-Sid-Cheikh M, Catarino AI, Henry TB, Rowland SJ, Thompson RC, Gutierrez T. 2016. Pristine Micro- and Nano-Plastics Readily Form Microorg-Agglomerations in Sea Surface Simulated Conditions. Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, North American SETAC Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL, USA (Poster presentation)

Contact: Ana I. Catarino, PhD

Institute of Life and Earth Sciences, EGIS

Heriot-Watt University

Edinburgh, Scotland, UK

a.catarino [at] hw.ac.uk

+44 (0) 131 451 4502

Twitter @Zebrazuli

orcid.org/0000-0002-8796-0869

ResearcherID: J-9863-2014

Scopus Author ID: 6602184499