PhD Graduate Students
Alina Timshina
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Alina Timshina is a 4th year PhD graduate student in the Department of Environmental Engineering Sciences in the Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering. She received her BS in Environmental Engineering Sciences and BFA in Painting at the University of Florida (2021). Her research is focused on using mass spectrometry to analyze PFAS in various complex waste streams, including compost and landfill leachate, with the goal of deriving best management practices in regard to how to mitigate and reduce PFAS burdens.
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Qaim Mehdi
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Qaim Mehdi is a 3rd year PhD student in the Department of Physiological Sciences, specializing in Toxicology. Before joining the University of Florida, he received a Master’s degree in Marine Sciences and Convergent Technology from Hanyang University, South Korea. Qaim's research lies at the intersection of Toxicology and Environmental/Analytical Chemistry, focusing on understanding the bioaccumulation of PFAS in marine ecosystems. His work spans diverse environments, studying the presence and impact of these contaminants in sharks, marine mammals, and a broad spectrum of marine vertebrates across the U.S. coastal waters, the Arctic Ocean, and the Galapagos Islands. Through precise analytical techniques and innovative methodologies, Qaim strives to provide valuable insights into the ecological and human health implications of PFAS contamination.
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Tommy Sinkway
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Tommy Sinkway is a 3rd year PhD graduate student in the Analytical Division of the Chemistry Department in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. He received his BS degrees in both Biochemistry and Chemistry at the College of Charleston. His past research focused on the optimization of mass spectrometric methods, specifically in the MALDI-TOF instrumentation of depsipeptides. At UF, his research is focused on developing novel analytical workflows capable of investigating known PFAS and unknown PFAS contamination in Florida's water systems.
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Isabella Cioffi
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Isabella Cioffi is a 1st year PhD graduate student in the Analytical Division of the Department of Chemistry. She earned her BS in Chemistry at the University of North Florida. There, she conducted biochemical undergraduate research in the Dr. Hannah R. Malcolm laboratory. She then worked in an EPA/FDA audited analytical lab in Jacksonville, FL during her academic gap. At UF, she is interested in using analytical techniques in environmental applications, e.g., quantifying PFAS in biotic and abiotic matrices in Florida’s ecosystems.
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Biological Scientist I
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Lauren Blackman is a Biological Scientist in the Bowden Lab. She joined the lab in January 2024 but is originally from Charleston, South Carolina. She studied at Flagler College from and graduated in 2022 with a Degree in Coastal Environmental Science with a minor in Biology. At UF, she has worked on looking at PFAS in the invasive Burmese Pythons of Florida. She is interested in continuing this kind of research on both aquatic and terrestrial wildlife in the future.
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Undergraduate Researchers
Jack Arnold
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Jack Arnold graduated with a B.S. in Biochemistry from University of Florida in the spring of 2025. He joined the Bowden Lab in May 2022, where he began investigating PFAS accumulation via vehicle cabin air filters. He is continuing his research as a laboratory technician, focusing on non-targeted lipidomic and PFAS assessments to test their influence on neurodegenerative disease. Jack plans to pursue an MD/PhD to bridge medicine and analytical toxicology, translating these tools to characterize PFAS burden across human organ systems.
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Adriana Iorfida is a 2nd year undergraduate student who is just starting her research in the laboratory, which will focus on examining PFAS in sting rays.
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