Jennifer joined the NIST family at the Hollings Marine Laboratory in Charleston, South Carolina in 2008. There she proudly serves as a NIST Biorepository team member. Her responsibilities include implementing standardized archival protocols pertaining to the collection, banking and cryohomogenization of tissues from a multitude of marine organisms (i.e., marine mammals, sea turtles and sea birds). Jennifer also helps produce SRMS in NIST’s in-house Cryogenic Reference Material Production Facility. Past materials include SRM 1974d (Organics in Mussel Tissue) and Candidate RM 8427 (Mycotoxins in Corn). In addition, Jennifer’s past laboratory experience at NIST includes investigating contaminants in marine organisms (i.e., beluga whales, dolphin and sea turtles). Her research focused on quantifying persistent organic pollutants (POPs) as well as current-use pollutants (i.e., PBDEs and HBCDs) in attempt to elucidate temporal and spatial trends in organismal contaminant loads.
Prior to her employment at NIST, Jennifer worked at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Ocean Service in the Ecotoxicology Department and the South Carolina Department of Resources, where she conducted a variety of toxicological assessments, chiefly biomarkers (i.e., lipid peroxidation and glutathione), on several estuarine organisms (i.e., oysters, fish and shrimp).