Gwen O'Sullivan, Mount Royal University

Research

wildfire smoke organic aerosols particulate matter controlled laboratory burns multidimensional chromatography unmanned aerial vechiles low cost sensor

Latest papers

Selection, optimization, and validation of thermal desorption for analysis of VOCs and PAHs in combustion emissions.
Journal of chromatography. A · 2026 · senior author
An open-access computational fingerprinting workflow for source classifications of neat gasoline using GC × GC-TOFMS and Machine Learning.
Journal of chromatography. A · 2025 · senior author
Are We Ready for It? A Review of Forensic Applications and Readiness for Comprehensive Two-Dimensional Gas Chromatography in Routine Forensic Analysis.
Journal of separation science · 2025

All 12 publications

Latest funding

Characterization of smoke from wildfires for source apportionment and human health risk assessment in urban environments
NSERC · 2024 · Principal investigator
$43,000
Identification and mitigation of toxic substances, linked to aerotoxic syndrome, in airplane cabins
NSERC · 2020 · Principal investigator
$30,000

All 2 grants and awards

12 publications.

01

Selection, optimization, and validation of thermal desorption for analysis of VOCs and PAHs in combustion emissions.

Marx C, Hayes K, McMartin D, Sandau C, O'Sullivan G

Journal of chromatography. A2026Senior author

DOI: 10.1016/j.chroma.2026.467256 PMID: 42462411

02

An open-access computational fingerprinting workflow for source classifications of neat gasoline using GC × GC-TOFMS and Machine Learning.

Nguyen HM, Sühring R, Marx C, Liang Y, Sandau C, O'Sullivan G

Journal of chromatography. A2025Senior author

DOI: 10.1016/j.chroma.2025.466388 PMID: 40997534

03

Are We Ready for It? A Review of Forensic Applications and Readiness for Comprehensive Two-Dimensional Gas Chromatography in Routine Forensic Analysis.

Macturk EL, Hayes K, O'Sullivan G, Perrault Uptmor KA

Journal of separation science2025

DOI: 10.1002/jssc.70138 PMID: 40259530

04

Reply to letter to the editor RE: Hayes K, Megson D., Doyle A, O'Sullivan G. Occupational risk of organophosphates and other chemical and radiative exposure in the aircraft cabin: A systematic review. Sci Total Environ. 2021 Nov 20;796:148742.

Hayes K, O'Sullivan G, Doyle A, Megson D

The Science of the total environment2022

DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.155509 PMID: 35589439

05

Occupational risk of organophosphates and other chemical and radiative exposure in the aircraft cabin: A systematic review.

Hayes K, Megson D, Doyle A, O'Sullivan G

The Science of the total environment2021Senior author

DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.148742 PMID: 34375198

06

Method development for optimizing analysis of ignitable liquid residues using flow-modulated comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography.

Boegelsack N, Hayes K, Sandau C, Withey JM, McMartin DW, O'Sullivan G

Journal of chromatography. A2021Senior author

DOI: 10.1016/j.chroma.2021.462495 PMID: 34537663

07

Development of retention time indices for comprehensive multidimensional gas chromatography and application to ignitable liquid residue mapping in wildfire investigations.

Boegelsack N, Sandau C, McMartin DW, Withey JM, O'Sullivan G

Journal of chromatography. A2021Senior author

DOI: 10.1016/j.chroma.2020.461717 PMID: 33254004

08

Biomimicry of vascular plants as a means of saline soil remediation.

Swallow MJB, O'Sullivan G

The Science of the total environment2019Senior author

DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.11.245 PMID: 30469071

09

Fate and behavior of oil sands naphthenic acids in a pilot-scale treatment wetland as characterized by negative-ion electrospray ionization Orbitrap mass spectrometry.

Ajaero C, Peru KM, Simair M, Friesen V, O'Sullivan G, Hughes SA, McMartin DW, Headley JV

The Science of the total environment2018

DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.03.079 PMID: 29727993

10

Changes to polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) signatures and enantiomer fractions across different tissue types in Guillemots.

Megson D, Brown TA, O'Sullivan G, Robson M, Ortiz X, Worsfold PJ, Comber S, Lohan MC, Reiner EJ

Marine pollution bulletin2018

DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2018.04.014 PMID: 29886934

Characterization of smoke from wildfires for source apportionment and human health risk assessment in urban environments

Principal investigatorNSERC2024Discovery Grants Program - Individual

Principal investigators: O'Sullivan, Gwen

Keywords: wildfire; smoke; organic aerosols; particulate matter; controlled laboratory burns; multidimensional chromatography; unmanned aerial vechiles; low cost sensor; thermal desorption; sorbent tubes & filters

$43,000

Identification and mitigation of toxic substances, linked to aerotoxic syndrome, in airplane cabins

Principal investigatorNSERC2020Discovery Development Grant

Principal investigators: O'Sullivan, Gwen

$30,000

From CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC funding decisions: CIHR since 2008, NSERC since 1991 and SSHRC since 1998, including their latest published competition results.

Frequent collaborators

Earth & Environmental Sciences
Civil, Geological and Environmental Engineering
Mathematics

Co-authors at Mount Royal University, colored by department. Thicker lines mean more shared papers; select anyone to open their profile and their own map.

You Liang

Mathematics

1 shared papers, latest 2025

Dena McMartin

Civil, Geological and Environmental Engineering

1 shared papers, latest 2026

Write to this professor

A short, specific email works best. This draft uses one of their recent papers; replace the parts in brackets with your own details before sending.

Applying for

Paper to mentionMention their NSERC grant from 2024

Subject: Prospective PhD student: wildfire Dear Professor O'Sullivan, My name is [your name], and I am a [your current degree or role] at [your institution]. I am applying for a PhD position starting in [term and year]. I read your paper "Selection, optimization, and validation of thermal desorption for analysis of VOCs and PAHs in combustion emissions." (2026), and it connects closely to my own work on [your research topic]. [One or two sentences on what you did and what you learned.] I also saw your NSERC-funded project "Characterization of smoke from wildfires for source apportionment and human health risk assessment in urban environments" (2024), and I would be glad to contribute to work in that direction. Are you accepting new PhD students for [term and year]? I have attached my CV and transcripts, and I would be glad to talk at a time that suits you. Thank you for your time. Kind regards, [your name]

Gwen O'Sullivan