Holly Barrett

Holly grew up in St. John’s, Newfoundland, and earned her BSc (Joint Honours) in Biochemistry and Chemistry from Memorial University of Newfoundland. She began her research training in environmental analytical chemistry under the supervision of Prof. Christina Bottaro, where her honours thesis investigated the use of molecularly imprinted polymers for the in situ environmental monitoring of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. 

She went on to complete her PhD in Chemistry at the University of Toronto under the supervision of Prof. Hui Peng. Her doctoral research integrated principles from biochemistry and chemistry to address interdisciplinary questions in environmental toxicology, with a focus on identifying bioactive environmental contaminants using high-resolution mass spectrometry and bioanalytical tools. Her work examined how these contaminants interact with proteins and mediate adverse health effects in both mammalian and bacterial systems. 

Prior to returning to the University of Toronto as an Assistant Professor, Dr. Barrett worked as a Forensic Scientist in the Toxicology Section at the Centre of Forensic Sciences within the Ministry of the Solicitor General (Ontario). In this role, she led the analysis of human biological samples for drugs and toxic substances in medicolegal investigations. 

Outside the lab, she can usually be found chasing after her two rescue Jack Russell Terriers, crocheting, thrifting, attending concerts, and growing her vinyl record collection.