Helen Poynton
2021 Rising Tides Environmentor
Dr. Helen Poynton grew up outside of Philadelphia, attended Temple University, and received a BS in biochemistry. In graduate school at UC Berkeley, she was able to combine her interest in environmental activism with a fascination with molecular biology and pursued research in Molecular Toxicology. She worked for three years at the Environmental Protection Agency before becoming a professor at UMass Boston. At the EPA, she learned to work with interdisciplinary teams to use chemistry and biology to guide new policy and realized her passion for solving wicked problems.
Helen’s current research focuses on applying genomics to better understand sub-lethal effects of environmental pollutants and the consequences of adaptation to pollution. She led the genome project for an important sediment dwelling animal, Hyalella azteca, and has recently been involved with collaborative initiatives to identify ways evolution can inform risk assessment and better bridge the disciplines of evolution and toxicology. She is also working on a Community Based Participatory Research (CBPR) Project in Vieques, PR where she hopes to bring her molecular experience to uncover hidden pollution threats. Recently, Helen’s interests have also expanded to understanding how climate change stressors and pollutants interact, causing new impacts to coastal and aquatic ecosystems.
Helen is also a passionate teacher of environmental science and a mentor for undergraduate researchers. She is the director of a NSF sponsored Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program to train young scholars in transdisciplinary coastal research. She loves the idea of using a variety of teaching methods and medium to reach broad audiences and expand the public’s understanding of environmental science, and is very excited to be a part of Rising Tides.