Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry –

I emigrated to Canada in 2006 with a PhD in Chemical Physics. Shortly after I joined the University of Ottawa in the Chemistry Department where I trained in Mass Spectrometry. Mass Spectrometry uses instruments designed to weigh atoms and molecules very precisely and with great accuracy. In 2013 I became manager of the John L Holmes Mass Spectrometry Facility. I started to develop experiments for training the students to use the instruments, particularly the Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometers. I used several essential oils of which I would not tell them what they were. The students would analyze the essential oil and deduce it from the chemical composition. Some were clever enough to work out what it was by smelling it! So, I started to explore less well-known essential oils. During covid, I undertook an aromatherapy certification and qualified in 2022. This opened a whole new avenue of experiments. In the facility we make and analyze hydrosols, using a microwave distillation apparatus and we also extract plant material using superfluid carbon dioxide. This combines my passion for teaching with my passion for aromatherapy and gardening. Please check out some of our work Hydrosol Project | Research and Innovation.