X. Chris Le, PhD
Profile (PDF), Chris in office (jpg)

Distinguished University Professor
Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, Academy of Science

Director, Division of Analytical and Environmental Toxicology
Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology,
Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, 10-102 Clinical Sciences Building,
University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G 2G3

As a Distinguished University Professor, Dr. Le contributes to Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology (Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry), Department of Public Health Sciences (School of Public Health), and Department of Chemistry (Faculty of Science), University of Alberta. He is Director of the Analytical and Environmental Toxicology Division. Dr. Le served or serves as an Associate Editor for Analytical Chemistry, Associate Editor for Environmental Health Perspectives, and Editor-in-Chief for Journal of Environmental Sciences..

Dr. Le received his Ph.D. in Environmental/Analytical Chemistry from the University of British Columbia (1990-1993). He was subsequently awarded a prestigious Killam Postdoctoral Fellowship and carried out postdoctoral research in the Chemistry Department at the University of Alberta (1994). He was recruited to the Faculty of Medicine in 1995 and was promoted through the ranks to Professor in 2003.

Dr. Le held an inaugural Canada Research Chair in Bio-Analytical Technology and Environmental Health (2000-2017). He was awarded an E.W.R. Steacie Fellowship (2000-2001) from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC). He also received from the Canadian Society for Chemistry a McBryde Medal (2002) and a Maxxam Award (2011) for "distinguished contribution to the field of analytical chemistry", as well as an Environment Research and Development Award (2011) "for distinguished contributions to research and/or development in the fields of environmental chemistry or environmental chemical engineering". He also received the University Cup (2018), Distinguished University Professorship (2011), Award for Excellence in Mentoring (2009) and a Martha Cook Piper Research Prize (2000), from the University of Alberta.

Dr. Le is elected Fellow of the Chemical Institute of Canada (2001), Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (UK) (2016), and Fellow of the Academy of Science, Royal Society of Canada (2010).

Dr. Le's group actively pursues research involving bioanalytical chemistry and environmental health sciences. Current projects include (i) analytical techniques and assays for molecules of environmental and biological significance; (ii) arsenic speciation, exposure, metabolism, and health effects; (iii) DNA damage and protein biomarkers; (iv) environmental health; and (v) water and food safety. The ultrasensitive techniques and assays enable studies of the environment and human health. This group enjoys extensive collaborations with multidisciplinary research groups both on campus and internationally.

Research in this group has been supported by Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research, Alberta Health, Alberta Innovates, Alberta Cancer Foundation, American Water Works Association Research Foundation (USA), Canada Foundation for Innovation, the Canada Research Chairs Program, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Canadian Water Network NCE, Environmental Protection Agency (USA), Health Canada, Metals in the Human Environment Research Network, National Cancer Institute (USA), National Cancer Institute of Canada (Terry Fox Foundation), National Institutes of Health (USA), the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, and New Frontiers in Research Fund.