Dr. Ichiko Sugiyama (Chair)

My name is Ichiko Sugiyama, and I am the current Chair of the EAG Communications Committee, a Postdoctoral Fellow at Carleton University, and a Guest Investigator at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI). I am a biogeochemist who investigates modern and ancient metal and nutrient biogeochemical cycles using interdisciplinary approaches. My research examines how solution chemistry and particulates, including minerals, particulate organic carbon, and microbes, govern the cycling of metals and nutrients. I also study how diagenetic processes modify chemical and isotopic signals in sediments and sedimentary rocks, linking modern biogeochemical processes to the geologic record. I apply this expertise across paleobiogeochemistry, oceanography, and industrial applications, including ore and petroleum geochemistry, environmental remediation, and the evaluation of geoengineering strategies for mitigating anthropogenic climate change.

I have been actively involved in science communication and public engagement through the EAG for more than a decade, beginning with volunteering and blogging for the Goldschmidt Conference, then joining the EAG Communications Committee as a member, and now as its Chair. Beyond EAG, I have contributed extensively to science communication and outreach through initiatives such as the European Geosciences Union (EGU) Climate Division, Rock Archive, International Continental Scientific Drilling Program (ICDP) projects, and Science Stroll. In my current role, I strive to strengthen connections between scientists and the broader public by promoting inclusive, accessible, and impactful scientific communication through the EAG Communications Committee. Connect with me on:

Bluesky: chikoblast.bsky.social

Website: www.isugiyama.com

Dr. Astrid Hylen

I am a sediment biogeochemist on an MSCA postdoctoral fellowship at the Centre de recherche et d’enseignement des géosciences de l’environnement (CEREGE) in southern France. My research focuses on the carbon cycle in coastal settings. Currently, I study the dissolution of carbonate minerals in continental shelf sediments and how environmental conditions and human activities influence this process, with the aim of understanding its impact on the ocean’s role as a climate buffer. I’m excited to tell stories about the fantastic geochemistry work being done around the world on the EAG blog and to encourage scientific discussions through the EAG Reactions webinars.

Dr. Aurélie Verney-Caron

My name is Aurélie Verney-Carron. I am Professor at the University of Paris-Est Créteil (UPEC, France). I teach geology and conduct my research at the LISA (Interuniversity Laboratory of Atmospheric Systems). My research focuses on the degradation of cultural heritage materials, such as stones and glass, caused by pollution, climate, and microorganisms. I also use the alteration of these materials, especially black crusts on calcareous stones, as archives of ancient pollution in order to trace sources, atmospheric levels and reaction processes. To achieve this, I employ geochemical methods such as experiments, isotopic tracing and analysis, and geochemical modeling. I joined the EAG Council since 2025, and I am eager to share in this committee the connections between geochemistry and other disciplines to demonstrate its full relevance.

Dr. Gerald Raab

Hi, I’m Gerald Raab and I work as a senior Postdoc at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Canada, as well as research manager for the Field of Excellence “Climate Change Graz” in Austria. I graduated in Earth System Sciences from the University of Zürich, Switzerland. My research focuses on quantifying landscape dynamics using modern geochronological methods, advanced analytical chemistry, and curiosity to explore new investigation techniques. In my managing capacity, I coordinate interdisciplinary research and foster collaborations across scientific disciplines. I play a pivotal role in advancing the university’s field of excellence and strive for continuous success and international recognition of Climate Change Graz as a leading center for climate research and knowledge exchange. I am eager to ignite passion for geochemistry in others by advertising the amazing science done by researchers across career stages. 

Dr. Helen Feord

I am a postdoctoral researcher at the GFZ Helmholtz Centre for Geosciences in Potsdam, Germany. By training I am a plant scientist, studying cellular timekeeping and magnesium transport in a marine alga for my PhD. Still focused on algae, I now study them on glaciers and ice sheets, working towards understanding how algal taxa have evolved to survive harsh glacier conditions and how they contribute to glacier biogeochemical cycles. I work alongside scientists with very different expertise (remote sensing, hydrology, mineralogy, ecology…) to understand glacier systems (which are also “biomes”) and to predict their future evolution to understand how these (eco)systems will change within our warming world. For this work, I use a variety of biological and biogeochemical techniques and undertake field work on the Arctic and sub-Arctic glaciers. I am very excited to join the EAG communications committee, hoping to broaden my knowledge of geochemistry, contribute to the dissemination of science both within and outside EAG, and highlight extraordinary science and scientists.

Dr. Marta Berkesi

I am currently a senior research fellow at the HUN-REN Institute for Earth Physics and Space Science. My research focuses on deep lithosphere fluids and mantle degassing. Besides, I am a fluid inclusionist working to better understand mantle fluids and mantle metasomatism, and to characterize fluids associated with carbonatites and complex multiphase HP-HT metamorphic fluids. I led (as PI) a research group on the application of 3D Raman spectroscopy to refine the above types of fluid systems. At my current workplace, I also lead a research group that uses an interdisciplinary (geophysical, geochemical, and volcanological) approach to explore the degassing processes of the mantle and lower crust.

I joined the EAG Council in 2026, and was keen to get involved in the EAG Communications Committee, where my goal is to strengthen interdisciplinary dialogue to serve societal problems with geochemistry applied and help young / early-stage researchers with useful content.

Dr. Natalia Jakus

I am a geomicrobiologist currently based in Switzerland at EPFL, working at the interface of mineralogy, geochemistry, and microbiology. I study how microbes alter minerals and survive in energy-limited subsurface environments, and what this means for critical subsurface resources and infrastructure, including the safety of deep geological disposal of radioactive waste.

I look forward to contributing to the EAG Communications Committee by supporting the exchange of information both within the association and with the wider public, and by increasing the visibility of research. On a more personal level, I hope to share my fascination with the natural sciences and encourage genuine curiosity about the natural world, something that can sometimes be lost in the fast-paced, often abstract academic setting. I see EAG as a great platform for this.

Dr. Piyal Halder

Hello to my EAG brothers and sisters. I am Dr. Piyal Halder from India. I have completed my PhD in Geochemistry and Tectonics at the Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences, Lucknow (DST., Govt. of India) & Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (An Institute of National Importance, Govt, of India). Presently, I am working as a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, Dehradun (an autonomous Research Institute under the Department of Science & Technology, Govt. of India). Earlier, I also served as a Project Scientist in the Scientific Deep Drilling Program at the Koyna Intraplate Seismic Zone, Borehole Geophysics Research Laboratory, Ministry of Earth Sciences, Govt. of India.

I joined the committee in 2024 and particularly enjoyed working as an EAG Blogger and Volunteer in Goldschmidt 2025 at Prague, Czech Republic. I have also been associated with the Geochemistry, Mineralogy, Petrology and Volcanology (GMPV) Division of the EGU since 2022 as a blog Editor and ECS member, and since last year have been serving there as the ECS Representative. Additionally, I am acting as an Outreach Officer and Webmaster for the Volcanology, Geochemistry, and Petrology (VGP) Section of the AGU. 

Besides dealing with spatulas, vials, conical flasks, centrifuge tubes, acids, chemicals, etc., I love to read books, especially detective stories. I am a hardcore food lover. Testing foods and cooking them in my own style is one of my hobbies.

Find me on Twitter @PIYAL_HALDER_, on BlueSky @piyal-halder.bsky.social, and email- piyalhalder.org@gmail.com

Dr. Zhaoxun (Nancy) Yang

Hi, I’m Nancy Yang and I am currently a Postdoctoral Scientist at the Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL), Woods Hole, USA. I received my PhD in Geochemistry from Colorado School of Mines and a MS in Environmental Engineering from Northwestern University. My broad research interests include wetland biogeochemistry, metals in the environment, and nature-based treatment. My current research focuses on understanding iron and sulfur biogeochemical cycling in coastal wetlands. I am excited to join the EAG Communications Committee and look forward to helping promote the communication of geochemistry across disciplines.