Email address: cbergeron@vt.edu

Christine's CV (May 2009)

About Christine

Christine is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Dr. Bill Hopkins' Wildlife Ecotoxicology and Physiological Ecology program in the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences at Virginia Tech. Her research focuses on the maternal transfer and reproductive effects of mercury in amphibians.

Growing up on the coast of Maine fostered her passion for environmental conservation from an early age. Her academic background is diverse, ranging from an undergraduate degree in biology from Assumption College in Worcester, MA to a Master’s degree in Marine, Estuarine, and Environmental Science through the University of Maryland's Chesapeake Biological Laboratory. During her Master’s, Christine specialized in environmental chemistry and investigated the impact of sediment resuspension on mercury cycling and the bioaccumulation of methylmercury into benthic and pelagic organisms.

Christine's Master’s research mainly focused on the chemistry of mercury in terms of its fate, transport, and bioaccumulation. Her research in the Hopkins' Lab allows her to combine the knowledge she gained regarding chemical concentrations in the environment with an ecological perspective to tackle complex interdisciplinary questions in wildlife ecotoxicology. Currently, Christine is using a variety of field and laboratory techniques to examine the individual and interactive effects of maternally- and trophically-derived mercury on growth and development in American toad (Bufo americanus) embryos, larvae, and juveniles.

Recent Publications

Bergeron, C.M., Bodinof, C.M., Unrine, J.M., Hopkins, W.A. 2010. Mercury accumulation along a contamination gradient and nondestructive indices of exposure in amphibians. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 29: 980-988.

Bergeron, C.M., Bodinof, C.M., Unrine, J.M., Hopkins, W.A. 2010. Bioaccumulation and maternal transfer of mercury and selenium in amphibians. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 29: 989-997.

Kim, E-H, Mason, R.P., Bergeron, C.M. 2008. A modeling study on methylmercury bioaccumulation and its controlling factors. Ecological Modeling 218: 267-289.

Bergeron, C.M., Husak, J.F., Unrine, J.M., Romanek, C.S., Hopkins, W.A. 2007. Influence of feeding ecology on blood mercury concentrations in four turtle species. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 26: 1733-1741.