Myrna J. Simpson
University of Toronto, Canada
Myrna Simpson is recognized for work that has reshaped our understanding of pollutant fate and anthropogenic impacts on biogeochemical cycling in both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. While Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is a widely used tool in chemistry for the elucidation of structure, Myrna and collaborators have pioneered the field of “Environmental NMR”. Her ground-breaking work in environmental geochemistry has transformed basic understanding of processes controlling the organic carbon cycle and is reshaping environmental management and information about the link between environmental and human health. This understanding is critical to developing sustainable environmental management practices for long-term climate change mitigation especially in sensitive ecosystems such as the Canadian High Arctic.