Christina McGraw, Our people, Department of Chemistry

Research interests

My group’s research focuses on designing advanced analytical instrumentation. Current research projects include:

Measurement of intracellular proteins, lipids, and carbohydrates. We develop molecular sensors that measure organic carbon in cells more quickly and easily than previously possible. We are using these sensors in projects focused on marine carbon sequestration, biofuel production, and food and drug production.
The effect of climate change on marine ecosystems. The oceans have absorbed about one-third of the anthropogenic CO2 released into the atmosphere, decreasing seawater pH and carbonate concentrations, and significantly altering ocean chemistry. We are developing new instruments to measure fine-scale changes in carbonate chemistry and study the impact of global climate change on the oceans.
Rapid measurement of dimethylsulfide (DMS). DMS, produced from the enzymatic cleavage of dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) by marine bacteria and phytoplankton, plays a critical role in climate regulation. We are developing new sensors for real-time measurement of DMS production.

Founding member of the Pacific Island Ocean Acidification Centre (Suva, Fiji). This partnership between The Pacific Community, University of the South Pacific, University of Otago, and NIWA supports ocean acidification capacity development. I provide technical expertise and training to members establishing ocean acidification monitoring programmes (ongoing)
Co-leader of the team developing experimental design training resources for the Scientific Committee on Oceanic Research’s Changing Ocean Biological Systems project (ongoing)
Member of the Ocean Acidification Research for Sustainability’s Policy Working Group, a UN Decade of Ocean Science endorsed programme (ongoing)
Mentor to researchers in Mexico, Peru, and throughout the Pacific Islands who have established OA programmes to help their countries meet the UN Sustainable Development Goal 14.3 (ongoing)
Led the Commonwealth Blue Charter course for policymakers and government officials: Addressing the Impacts of Ocean Acidification through Mitigation, Monitoring and Policy (2022)
Developed the Introduction to Ocean Acidification module for UNESCO - Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission’s Ocean Teacher Global Academy course on Ocean Acidification (2021)
Led development of the Commonwealth Blue Charter’s Policymakers’ Handbook for Addressing the Impacts of Ocean Acidification (2021)

2023–present, Associate Professor, University of Otago
2017–2023, Senior Lecturer, University of Otago
2015–2016, Lecturer, University of New England, Australia
2013–2016, Visiting Lecturer and Biogeochemical Sensor Developer, Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, Australia
2011–2013, Assistant Professor of Environmental Analytical Chemistry, Clark University, USA
2006–2010, Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Otago
2005–2006, Postdoctoral Fellow, Dublin City University
1999–2004, PhD (Analytical Chemistry) and MSc, University of Washington, USA
1999–BSc (Chemistry), University of Alaska, USA