Dr Rachael Rees

Dr Rachael Rees

Science Facilities Manager

+44 (0)1752 633100 (switchboard)
"PML continues to be a motivating and inspiring place to work. I thoroughly enjoy working with my colleagues and the continuously evolving science and find it highly satisfying to see improvements being implemented that enhance the safety of our work activities and which protect both our physical and mental health. "

Rachael Rees joined PML in 2016 as an analytical chemist and gained her PhD developing a technique to extract oxygenated volatile organic compounds from seawater using proton transfer reaction mass spectrometry.

She has participated in 4 research cruises and has a vast experience of analytical chemistry spanning a 20+ year career in both GLP and ISO accredited laboratories.

Rachael is now PML’s first Science Facilities Manager. This role includes leading and managing PML’s science and research facilities and a team of laboratory managers, to ensure that equipment, environment and work activities are conducted safely, are of high quality and are financially sustainable, thereby facilitating innovative marine research and helping to deliver PML’s strategic priorities.

This role includes the position of Science H&S Advisor. Rachael is qualified to NEBOSH Certificate standard and has also gained Lloyds Register Lead Auditor training to enable her to successfully lead the implementation of an ISO 45001 (H&S) management system across PML including PML’s first H&S internal audit programme. Rachael is a member of the PML Wellbeing Team, the Corporate Stress Committee, the H&S Committee and she chairs the Laboratory Managers Forum.

Rachael is also trained in ISO 9001 (quality) and ISO 14001 (environmental) standards / auditing and is leading the integration of these management systems with a focus on sustainability and environmental impact throughout the PML’s science facilities.

Rachael also successfully lead and managed PML’s first laboratory-based apprentices and was registered as an external examiner for SIAS (end-point assessors for science and technical apprenticeships).

Key Projects

Successful implementation of ISO 45001 across PML.

Selected Publications

Beale R and Airs R (2016) Quantification of glycine betaine, choline and trimethylamine N-oxide in seawater particulates: Minimisation of seawater associated ion suppression. Anal. Chem. Acta. 938, 114-122. doi:10.1016/j.aca.2016.07.016

Beale R, Dixon JL, Smyth TS, Nightingale PD (2015) Annual study of oxygenated volatile organic compounds in UK shelf waters. Marine Chemistry 171, 96-106. doi:10.1016/j.marchem.2015.02.013

Beale R., Johnson M. T., Liss P. S., and Nightingale P. D. (2014) Air-sea exchange of marine trace gases, in Treatise on Geochemistry; Volume 6: The oceans and marine geochemistry, Second ed., doi:10.1016/B978-0-08-095975-7.00603-3.

Beale R, Dixon J. L., Arnold, S. R., Liss, P. S., Nightingale, P. D. (2013) Methanol, acetaldehyde and acetone in the surface waters of the Atlantic Ocean. J. Geophys. Res.Oceans, 118, doi:10.1002/jgrc.30322.

Beale R., Liss P. S., Dixon J. L., Nightingale P. D. (2011) Quantification of oxygenated volatile organic compounds in seawater by membrane inlet- proton transfer reaction / mass spectrometry. Anal. Chem. Acta. 706, 128-134. doi:10.1016/j.aca.2011.08.023

Beale R., Liss P. S., Nightingale P. D. (2010) First oceanic measurements of ethanol and propanol. Geophys. Res. Lett. 37, L24607. doi:10.1029/2010GL045534