Ronald Glabonjat studied Environmental Systems Sciences at the University of Graz and Graz University of Technology, earning his PhD in Analytical Environmental Chemistry in 2017. He then took over as head of the Graz Central Lab – Environmental Metabolomics before moving to Columbia University in 2020. There, he served as Co-Director of the Multi-Element Trace Analysis Laboratory (METALab) and, in 2022, was appointed Assistant Professor of Environmental Health Sciences at the Mailman School of Public Health.
His research lies at the intersection of analytical chemistry, environmental science and public health. One of his primary interests is the speciation analysis of trace elements, aiming to decipher how different chemical forms of elements influence their behaviour or toxicity. Ronald Glabonjat uses mass spectrometric methods he has developed to gain insights into the interactions between environmental contaminants and their effects on human health.
Supported by funding from, among others, the U.S. National Institutes of Health, his work on trace element analysis has contributed to large epidemiological studies on gene–environment interactions in chronic diseases. He has also investigated health risks posed by metals in drinking water and food, as well as vapor from e-cigarettes. In 2025, he received the Calderone Junior Faculty Award, which honours outstanding early-career researchers in the field of public health.
What are Ronald Glabonjat's plans at the Centre for Mass Spectrometry? “I would like to expand the work in the field of analytical chemistry to include modern multi-omics approaches,” he explains. He intends to contribute his extensive expertise in metallomics, metabolomics, and speciation analysis to comprehensively investigate the complex interplay between chemical elements, biological processes, and environmental factors.
Innovative strategies for coupling analytical techniques – such as combining elemental and molecular mass spectrometric methods – can lead to significantly more efficient data generation. Optimizing omics workflows is expected not only to enable more precise and comprehensive analyses, but also to yield new insights into critical environmental processes with direct relevance to preventive and diagnostic health aspects.
“My long-term goal is to contribute to improving quality of life by gaining a better understanding of the relationships between environmental exposures, biochemical processes, and disease risks,” Glabonjat emphasises.
Excellence in teaching is also a central priority for the new head of the Core Facility: “It is important to me to foster the next generation of outstanding scientists and to inspire students to engage with the natural sciences early on. I want to equip them with a deep understanding of analytical methods, and thus lay a strong foundation for creative, critical, and forward-thinking researchers.”
