Dr Rebecca von Hellfeld

Biography

I am a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Aberdeen, specialising in assessing ecosystem health through the use of ecosystem sentinels. With a background in marine biology and ecotoxicology, my research focuses on what we can learn about the oceans from stranded marine mammals. Before joining the University of Aberdeen, I obtained her PhD from the University of Heidelberg (Germany), with my thesis assessing the suitability of the zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryo as a model organism for developmental teratogenicity.

Prizes and Awards

• Full Erasmus Mundus scholarship for the EMMSc Marine Environment and Resources 2014-2016
• Best Young Researcher Presentation at the European Teratology Society Conference 2019
• SULSA Postdoctoral Prize Awardee 2023

Research Overview

Broadly speaking, my research focusses on understanding anthropogenic impacts on our planet, as we face a triple planetary crisis - climate change, biodversity loss, and environmental pollution. Every project I am involved with, I approach from the 'One Health' perspective, wherein environmental, human, and animal health are inherently linked.

Current Research

I am currently involved in the VALMAS project, aiming to assess the value of marine artificial strucutures within broader environmental, social, and economic contexts. This includes extensive strakeholder engagement activities, an integrated natural capital framework, novel ecosystem modelling approaches, field and laboratory studies, as well as the development of a decision support tool.

I am also part of the INSITE-funded project CoRRODE, where we are focussing on the breakdown and dispersal of physical particles from offshore pipelines and the mobilisation and environmental fate of contaminants found within the pipeline scale.

Vattenfall Muir Mhor!

Past Research

• Land Use for Net Zero (LUNZ) 'Footprint' (2025-2026): A living lab approach for greenhouse gas assessments in the UK agricultural sector to create a scalable auditable process to sustainably and equitably reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
• DEFRA nature for Climate fund 'Comparing carbon budgets for different land use options' (2023-2025): A desctop study to produce a set of benchmark estimates of the net greenhouse gas balances of a range of land use options, calculated according to a consistent methodology, to inform land use policy decisions regarding net emissions.
• ISSF@Aberdeen Seed Corn Fund 'Mercury toxicity on zebrafish embryos in ecotoxicology QSAR modelling' (2023): Determining the current knowledge gaps in assessing the environmental toxicity of mercury species through model organisms.
• Internal Pump Prime Fund 'Analysis of North Sea Marine Mammal Mercury and Methylmercury Accumulation' MerMAM (2022-2023): Closing the knowledge gap in mercury accumulation in marine sentinels.
• Internal Collaborative Grant 'Decommissioned oil and gas pipeline-associated mercury contamination in the North Sea: Future risks to marine food webs and human health – A proof of concept' (2022): Integrating insights gained from the NDRI project into the North Sea context, including economic and human health outcomes.
• EPSRC funded Supergen project SUMMER 'Seed-propagated Upscaling of Miscanthus – Modelling and Environmental Response' (2022): Supporting the work conducted on establishing Miscanthus as a bioenergy crop across the UK.
• NDRI funded project 'Risk-based Marine Impact Assessment of Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials (NORMs) and Mercury from Decommissioning Oil and Gas Infrastructure' (2021-2022): A desktop study focussing in contaminants associated with the offshore infrastructure and by-products.
• EU Horizon project (EU-ToxRisk) 'Mechanism-based Toxicity Testing and Risk Assessment for the 21st century' (2017-2021): Driving the paradigm shift in toxicological testing away from ‘black box’ animal testing towards a toxicological assessment based on human cell responses and a comprehensive mechanistic understanding of cause-consequence relationships of chemical adverse effects.

Knowledge Exchange

I am a STEM ambassador since 2021, supporting students and showcasing the wonders of STEM research. I also volunteer for the German marine protection organisation DEEPWAVE e.V. since 2018, where I assist with insights into scientific findings, translating German texts into English, and participating in events and public engagement.

Funding and Grants

National Environmental Isotope Facility (2026) – Co-I: Integrating stable isotopes and mercury burden to understand the ecological drivers of contaminant variability in stranded long-finned pilot whales.

INSITE CoRRODE (2025-2027) – Named researcher & work package co-lead: Coating and residue release from offshore degraded equipment.

NERC ValMAS (2025-2029) – Named researcher & work package co-lead: The social, economic, and environmental benefits and disbenefits of marine artificial structures during production and decommissioning.

Vattenfall Muir Mhor (2025-2026) – Named researcher: Sampling and analysis of fouling on cables, chains. ropes and steel and cement structures for the Muir Mhor floating wind field.

SULSA RIS International Collaboration Fund (2024) -PI: Travel support for project proposal development for EU Horizon calls. Awarded for visiting collaborators at the University of the Basque Country for skill development.

ICES ASM Travel grant (2024) - PI: Funding for the registration, travel, and accommodation associated with the presentation at the ICES ASM in Gateshead in September 2024.

SULSA postdoctoral prize (2024) - PI: Research tour of Scottish universities to initiate collaborations and research project development. Awarded for networking with UK-based researchers in relevant fields and supporting my skill development.

ISSF@Aberdeen Seed Corn Fund 2023 - PI: Mercury toxicity on zebrafish embryos in ecotoxicology QSAR modelling.

Internal Pump priming fund 2022 - PI: MerMaM - Analysis of North Sea marine mammal mercury and methylmercury accumulation.

Internal collaborative grant 2022 – PI: Decommissioned oil and gas pipeline-associated mercury contamination in the North Sea: Risks to marine food webs and human health–Proof-of-concept.