Laura Banasiak
Laura is a Senior Scientist in the Groundwater team.
Qualifications
Laura earned her PhD in Environmental Engineering from the University of Edinburgh (UK) and ME in Civil Engineering – Research from the University of Wollongong (Australia).
About
Laura is a Senior Scientist based at PHF Science's Christchurch Science Centre. Laura has held several postdoctoral academic positions including Vice Chancellor's Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Geotechnical Engineering, University of Wollongong (Australia), Research Assistant, University of Tokyo (Japan), and Lecturer in Chemical and Process Engineering and Environmental Engineering, University of Canterbury. In mid-2017, Laura joined PHF Science's Groundwater Research group, where she has been involved in several projects. These include engineering mitigation options for reducing nutrient levels in groundwater, and predicting groundwater redox status at a national scale. Her expertise is in the use of engineering mitigation strategies for groundwater contamination (e.g. permeable reactive barriers) and membrane technology for the treatment of drinking water and groundwater. This expertise was recognised by her being appointed to the Stockton Mine Assessment Expert Reference Group and co-authoring a technical report for Treasury. Laura now leads the National Survey of Pesticides, Emerging Organic Contaminants (EOCs) and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in groundwater. In addition, she is collaborating with researchers from the University of Canterbury on the environmental implications of recycling end-of-life tyres in seismic resilient foundations.