Dr. Sarah Prebihalo

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Bio

Sarah graduated from Xavier University in 2011 with a Bachelors of Science in Chemistry. While at Xavier, she participated in research with Dr. Barbara Hopkins using atomic absorption spectroscopy (AA) to detect lead in water samples. Following her undergraduate work, Sarah spent 2 years working in an analytical chemistry laboratory utilizing ion chromatography to test consumer products. In 2013 she relocated to State College, Pennsylvania to obtain her Masters in Forensic Science at the Pennsylvania State University. While at Penn State, she became a member of Dr. Frank Dorman’s group, where she worked to determine emerging contaminants in wastewater samples using multidimensional gas chromatography (GC x GC – TOFMS). In 2015, Sarah graduated with her masters and moved to Seattle to begin her PhD work with Prof. Synovec. Sarah graduated from the Synovec lab in 2020 and now works at the FDA.

Publications

  1. Multidimensional Gas Chromatography: Advances in Instrumentation, Chemometrics, and Applications. Sarah E. Prebihalo, Kelsey L. Berrier, Chris E. Freye, H. Daniel Bahaghighat, Nicholas R. Moore, David K. Pinkerton, Robert E. Synovec. Analytical Chemistry, 2018, 90(1), 505-532.
  2. Targeted analyte deconvolution and identification by four-way parallel factor analysis using three-dimensional gas chromatography with mass spectrometry data. Nathanial E. Watson, Sarah E. Prebihalo, Robert E. Synovec. Analytica Chimica Acta, 2017, 983, 67-75.
  3. The white-rot fungus Trametes versicolor reduces the estrogenic activity of a mixture of emerging contaminants in wastewater treatment plant effluent. Michael J. Shreve, Adrienne Brockman, Marissa Hartleb, Sarah Prebihalo, Frank L. Dorman, Rachel A. Brennan. International Biodeterioration & Biodegradation, 2016, 109, 132-140.
  4. Determination of emerging contaminants in wastewater utilizing comprehensive two-dimensional gas-chromatography coupled with time-of-flight mass spectrometry. S. Prebihalo, A. Brockman, J. Cochran, F. L. Dorman. J. Chrom A, 2015, 1419, 109-115.

Presentations

● “Impact of GC x GC – TOFMS Experimental Design on Data Structure Trilinearity for Optimal PARAFAC Performance” Sarah E. Prebihalo, David K. Pinkerton, Anisha Uppugonduri, Robert E. Synovec; SciX2018, October 24, 2018, Atlanta, GA.

● “Impact of GC x GC – TOFMS Experimental Design on Data Trilinearity for PARAFAC Deconvolution” Sarah E. Prebihalo, David K. Pinkerton, Anisha Uppugonduri, Robert E. Synovec; Center for Process Analysis and Control (CPAC), May 2, 2017, Seattle, WA.

● “Environmental Forensics Determination of Emerging Contaminants in Wastewater Samples”
S. Prebihalo, J. Cochran, F. Dorman; The Pittsburgh Conference (Pittcon), March 9, 2015, New Orleans, LA.

● “Environmental Forensics Determination of Emerging Contaminants in Wastewater Samples”
S. Prebihalo, J. Cochran, F. Dorman; Multidimensional Chromatography Workshop, January 7, 2015, Toronto, Ontario.

● “Environmental Forensics Determination of Emerging Contaminants in Wastewater Samples”
S. Prebihalo, J. Cochran, F. Dorman; North Eastern Association of Forensic Scientists Annual Meeting (NEAFS), November 4, 2014, Hershey, PA.

Posters (as presenter)

● “Impact of GC x GC – TOFMS Experimental Design on Data Trilinearity for PARAFAC Deconvolution” Sarah E. Prebihalo, David K. Pinkerton, Anisha Uppugonduri, Robert E. Synovec; ISCC & GCxGC 2017, May 15, 2017, Fort Worth, TX.

● “Impact of GC x GC – TOFMS Experimental Design on PARAFAC Deconvolution” Sarah E. Prebihalo, David K. Pinkerton, Anisha Uppugonduri, Robert E. Synovec; Eigenvector University, April 25, 2017, Seattle, WA.

● “Environmental Forensics Determination of Emerging Contaminants in Wastewater Samples”
S. Prebihalo, J. Cochran, F. Dorman; American Society for Mass Spectrometry Sanibel Conference, January 23, 2015, Clearwater Beach, FL.

● “Utilizing Accurate Mass TOF-MS for the Analysis of Explosives” S. Prebihalo, F. Dorman; Pennsylvania Forensic Science Research Exchange, April 11, 2014, Pittsburgh, PA.

● “Determination of Lead Using Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy” S. Prebihalo, B. Hopkins; 241st American Chemical Society National Meeting, March 28, 2011, Anaheim, CA.

Awards

● Raymond and Sally Paxton Endowed Fund in Chemistry (2018)
● 1st Place – Richard Sacks Poster Award (GCxGC 2017)
● American Society for Mass Spectrometry Graduate Student Travel Award (2015)
● Advanced Testing Laboratory Service Award (2011)
● Clare Boothe Luce Scholar (2009 – 2011)