Kazemian, Dr. Hossein

PhD, C. Chem, MCIC, FIAAM

Lab Director

Dr. Hossein is the fearless captain of the Northern Analytical Laboratory Services (NALS) at UNBC, steering the lab with a sharp eye for precision and a knack for solving complex environmental challenges. As an Analytical Chemist with deep expertise in environmental and materials chemistry, he leads the NALS with a mix of scientific rigor and a passion for real-world impact.

Beyond the lab, Dr. Kazemian wears many hats—professor, consultant, collaborator, and occasional scientific detective—connecting research with industry needs and shaping policies that promote sustainability. Whether he’s guiding graduate students, leading groundbreaking studies, or making chemistry accessible beyond academia, his work reflects a commitment to both scientific excellence and community well-being.

At NALS, precision, innovation, and environmental stewardship aren’t just goals—they’re the standard, and Dr. Kazemian is the driving force behind it all.

Areas of Expertise

• Analytical & Environmental Chemistry
• Material Chemistry & Remediation
• Team Leadership & Project Management

Dorna Sobhani

BSc, MSc

Quality Assurance Officer

Dorna is the guardian of quality at NALS, ensuring every pipette drop and data point meets the highest standards. Her journey with NALS began in 2020 while she was pursuing her master’s in Environmental Science at UNBC, juggling research projects with her passion for learning and exploring. As our Quality Assurance Officer, Dorna is the backbone of NALS’s compliance with ISO 17025, overseeing quality management, accreditation, and internal audits with an eagle eye!

With dual MSc and BSc degrees in Chemical Engineering, Dorna brings a powerhouse of technical expertise, ensuring that NALS delivers reliable, high-quality services to clients. Whether she’s leading QA meetings and internal audits, keeping our data management airtight, or tackling non-conformities with finesse, she’s dedicated to maintaining excellence in every aspect of our work. When she’s not meticulously fine-tuning lab processes, you might find her bringing order to chaos elsewhere—because when Dorna’s around, excellence isn’t optional; it’s inevitable!

Areas of Expertise

• Quality Assurance & Compliance
• Laboratory Data Management & Auditing
• Process Optimization & Project Management

Erwin Rehl

BSc, MSc

Analytical Lab Specialist

Meet Erwin, NALS’ resident “Metals Guy” and the mastermind behind unlocking the secrets of complex samples. With over 20 years of method development experience and a BSc and MSc in Chemistry from UNBC, Erwin doesn’t just analyze metals—he hunts them down with precision using ICP-MS and ICP-OES. From stubborn rock digestions to intricate water analyses, if there’s a trace of metal in a sample, you can bet Erwin will find it!

But metals are just the beginning. Erwin is also a materials testing aficionado, diving deep into Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM-EDS), Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA), Particle Size Distribution (MasterSizer), BET surface area analysis, Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), and more. From developing cutting-edge methods to ensuring the smooth operation of a suite of advanced instruments, Erwin is the go-to expert for precision, reliability, and a little bit of scientific magic!

Areas of Expertise

• Metals Analysis & Trace Element Detection
• Advanced Materials Testing & Characterization
• Method Development & Optimization

Charles Bradshaw

BSc, MSc

Analytical Lab Specialist

Charles is NALS’ problem-solving wizard—the guy who never sees something as “broken,” only as “ready for a fix.” With a dual B.Sc. in Chemistry and Biology and an MSc in Environmental Science, Charles brings over a decade of hands-on experience in environmental testing and materials characterization.

When it comes to water safety, Charles is your go-to expert, specializing in bacteriological testing to ensure that the water you drink is free from coliforms and E. coli. But his expertise runs far deeper—he’s a master of elemental and materials analysis and characterization, e.g., Total Elements in solids, Nitrogen Species in waters, Higher Hearing Value, Ultimate and Proximate, XRD and XRF analysis, and much more.

Whether it’s method development, custom experimental design, or overseeing provincial accreditation for microbiological testing, Charles is the expert who turns lab challenges into breakthroughs.

Areas of Expertise

• Environmental and Water Potability Testing
• Elemental & Materials Characterization
• Method Development & Instrumentation Troubleshooting

Mya Schouwenburg

BSc

Analytical Lab Specialist

If there’s something in the air, Mya will find it! With a deep passion for analytical chemistry, air quality, and occupational hygiene, Mya is NALS’ go-to expert for detecting and analyzing airborne contaminants with cutting-edge techniques. Armed with a BSc in Chemistry and an MSc in Environmental Science, Mya specializes in industrial hygiene monitoring, expertly handling IOM samplers, inhalable particulate collection devices, and high-volume air samplers. Whether it’s tracking PAHs and metals in PM10 samples or using IC-ICP-MS for advanced chromium speciation (EPA 6800), she brings a meticulous approach to environmental and industrial air sampling.

Beyond air quality, Mya is a chromatography powerhouse, maintaining, troubleshooting, and optimizing our state-of-the-art GC-MS/MS for liquid injections, headspace, SPME, and thermal desorption. Whether she’s refining GC-MS, GC-FID, ICP-MS, or IC-ICP-MS methods, or pushing the limits of environmental and industrial hygiene analysis, she ensures that every dataset is rock-solid.

Areas of Expertise

• Industrial Hygiene & Air Quality Monitoring
• Chromatography & Advanced Analytical Techniques
• Chromium Speciation & Metals Analysis