Dr Jean O'Dwyer
- Funded Investigator/Deputy Director
- UCC
Biography
Dr. Jean O’Dwyer is head of the iCRGAG-GSI Environmental Geoscience PhD Programme, and a Lecturer in Environmental Science in the School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences. Jean graduated with a PhD in Environmental Science from the University of Limerick in 2015; her research focuses on modelling the fate of water contaminants, largely in groundwater. Jean is a funded investigator in the iCRAG groundwater research spoke.
The quality of groundwater can be affected by numerous environmental and source-specific risk factors and is further complicated by the fact that contamination sources may come from multiple human or animal sources. As a result, the management of groundwater is extremely challenging. However, by combining our knowledge of the natural subsurface environment with targeted sampling regimes and statistical models, we can ‘predict’ areas which are at a greater risk of contamination and, thus, can help in facilitating targeted remediation and groundwater management strategies. This risk characterisation, aimed at safeguarding public health, is my primary area of research.