By Sara Kaplan
Qaim Mehdi is a dedicated graduate student at the University of Florida working under the mentorship of Dr. John Bowden and his lab where he is engaged in pioneering research at the intersection of Toxicology and Environmental/ Analytical Chemistry. Qaim’s focus lies in investigation the bioaccumulation patterns of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) within diverse marine ecosystems, with a particular emphasis on sharks and a broad spectrum of marine vertebrates. His journey into the scientific world began with his fascination for wildlife and environmental health since his undergraduate program. Qaim pursued his passion for knowledge and he applied at Master’s programs all over the world. He got accepted at the Department of Marine Sciences and Convergent Technology at Hanyang University in South Korea. After speaking with his PI, Qaim started to work on PFAS accumulation in marine apex predators, where he studied PFAS in different species of marine mammals along the Korean coastal waters. Qaim earned his Master’s at the University and later he applied to Ph.D. program and got accepted at many universities across Europe and America. He chose the University of Florida, so he could work with Dr. Bowden’s lab because they were a great team for studying PFAS in various environmental compartments. In his first year at UF, he began to study PFAS in sharks along the South Atlantic Bight in the U.S. You can read the article here. In this study Qaim and his team found that female sharks had less PFAS in their system then their male counterparts. Shortly after that he published his first paper, he builds another hypothesis that female sharks might offload PFAS to their embryos during the mid-pregnancy. To answer this hypothesis, Qaim and his team analyzed pregnant sharks and their corresponding embryos (in-utero), in collaboration with Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). Interestingly, they measured PFAS levels in the developing embryos of various shark species, raising concerns about the potential risks of exposure to these hazardous contaminants during the early embryonic development. The results of this study are currently under-review in a prestigious environmental sciences journal.
Moreover, due to the unique environmental significance of sharks, Qaim is expanding his research focus to the Arctic Ocean residents, where he is measuring PFAS levels in the plasma samples of Greenland sharks, the species known for having the longest lifespan of over 200 years. The results of this study will provide valuable insights into the long-term exposure of PFAS over several decades, shedding light on the accumulation and potential ecological impacts of these chemicals in cold, remote ecosystems. Additionally, these findings could help assess the persistence of pollutants in organisms with exceptionally long lifespans, contributing to a deeper understanding of the effects of environmental contaminants on Arctic marine life and biodiversity.
A few skills Qaim Mehdi found essential to his studies were critical thinking as a graduate student and laboratory skills. The laboratory skills he finds essential are how to treat the samples, analyzing using the advance instrumentation and finally writing scientific journals. He learned these skills by shadowing the senior researchers on his team. He also finds communication skills such as writing and presenting research in international conferences which are essential in his career path.
Qaim states the typical workload for graduate students is around 40 hours a week, sometimes more and sometimes less. He believes once someone is committed to their graduate studies they can become addicted to their work, like he is. Meaning, coming in to work on samples and analyzing sometimes even during the holidays, and thinking about experiments no matter where one is at.
Some common challenges a PhD student may face include an unsupportive learning environment, difficulties in teamwork, and securing funding. However, Mr. Mehdi has been fortunate to find support in all of these areas, thanks to his PI, his research team, and the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Florida. Qaim also collaborates with the FWC, which assists him in obtaining samples for testing. In addition, he works with the Norwegian Polar Institute for the Greenland sharks. These samples come from various locations, ranging from Greenland sharks in the Arctic Ocean to Tiger and Great hammerhead sharks off the coast of Florida.
Looking ahead, his next research project Qaim wants to include non-targeted analysis in the PFAS research. This would expand the window so they could see if more PFAS are found in the samples he already analyzed using targeted and legacy methods. Even through there are over 14,000 PFAS chemicals, the current method only screens for around 100 of them. This research gap offers a unique opportunity for Qaim and his team to conduct non-targeted analysis in shark tissues, which will facilitate new possibilities for understanding the environmental and biological implications of PFAS exposure, thereby providing important information for risk assessment and mitigation strategies.
Alternatively, he aspires to contribute to global conservation efforts by collaborating with organizations such as the United Nations Environment Programme, furthering his mission to protect marine ecosystems and tackle both environmental and human health challenges. Qaim’s unwavering dedication to his studies, along with his vision for a healthier planet, positions him as a promising future leader in the field of Environmental Science and Toxicology.
