Center for PFAS Research

Kira received a dual degree in both Forensic Chemistry and Chemistry from Virginia Commonwealth University before coming to Michigan State University for graduate school. She first pursued a master’s in forensic chemistry under Dr. Ruth Smith and later joined the analytical chemistry doctoral program in Fall 2023. As a PhD student in the Qiu lab, her research centers on PFAS toxicology in the lungs and is currently working on the development of multi-modal mass spectrometry methods for airborne-susceptible PFAS. Her work also focuses on imaging environmental contaminants such as PFAS, heavy metals, and metal-based nanoparticles.