DrAlison Connolly

Dr Alison Connolly is an exposure scientist whose research is motivated by the protection of human health by evaluating and understanding exposures from new and emerging pollutants. Exposure science evaluates contact between stressors (e.g. chemicals, biological agents) and receptors (e.g. humans, other organisms). Exposure scientists are specialists in the characterisation of human exposure sources, pathways and processes potentially leading to impacts on human health and the natural and built environment.

Dr Connolly's research is predominantly focused on the utilisation of the exposure assessment methodology, human biomonitoring (HBM). She has seven years of experience utilising and refining HBM sampling strategies to conduct environmental and occupational assessments. HBM involves estimating human total body burdens through collecting and analysing biological samples (e.g. urine, blood) to quantify concentrations of pollutants, metabolites, or specific non-adverse biological effect parameters. HBM quantifies the internal dose of a chemical, allowing an evaluation of all routes and sources of exposure, making it an ideal instrument for risk assessment and management.

 Dr Alison Connolly is an internationally recognised exposure scientist and specialist in human biomonitoring methodologies. Dr Connolly has received numerous prestigious awards valued at approximately €2 million to date. Since commencing her current position as an assistant professor at UCD, Dr Connolly has been awarded €1.5 million in research funding. 

Currently, Dr Connolly has over 1000 citations, an h-index of 15 and an i10-index of 19. She has co-authored over 30 peer-reviewed journal articles, all published in relevant high-impact international journals. Eleven first-author articles, two of which were awarded 'Editor's Choice', one as an invited perspective article and over 10 as a senior author, as well as a publication in the Lancet Oncology as part of my work with the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). 

Dr Connolly is also heavily committed to the scientific community and volunteers on numerous committees and societies, including being the elected Councillor, 'Exposure Science Capacity Building, Training and Education' board member for the European Chapter of the International Society of Exposure Science (ISES Europe), and chairs the ISES Europe Education, Training and Communication working group with an overarching aim to elevate exposure science education in Europe. Furthermore, she is the Irish contact point for the World Health Organization (WHO) European Environment and Health Process (EHP) Partnership on Human Biomonitoring (HBM).  

Dr Connolly was also the recipient of the 2026 Joan M. Daisey Outstanding Young Scientist Award, an annual honour presented by the International Society of Exposure Science (ISES) to recognise outstanding contributions to the science of human exposure analysis by a young scientist.