Virginia Tech® home

Austin Gray

Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences

Austin Gray

Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences
Austin Gray
address icon

Location:

Office: 3002 Derring Hall
Lab: 3005 Derring Hall
926 West Campus Drive
Blacksburg, VA 24061-0406
icon

Contact:

austindg@vt.edu
(540) 231-1079
 

Major Field of Interest

Aquatic toxicology, aquatic ecology, analytical chemistry, ecosystem contaminants 

Research Interest

My research priorities are focused on addressing questions related to environmental toxicology, primarily using physiological and ecological approaches to examine the impacts of legacy and emerging contaminants (PAHs, POPs, microplastics, nanoplastics, and pharmaceuticals) from anthropogenic influence and assessing their risk to a variety of freshwater and marine organisms.

  • Postdoctoral Research Fellow (2020-2020). The impact of common stream antibiotics on nitrogen and carbon cycling processes. Duke University, Durham, NC. Supervisor: Emily Bernhardt
  • Ph.D., Environmental Health Sciences, University of North Carolina at Greensboro (2020).
  • M.A., Biology, The Citadel Graduate College (2014). Advisor: Dr. John Weinstein
  • B.S., Health, Exercise, and Sports Science, The Citadel, Military College of South Carolina (2013), Charleston, SC 

  • 2025: NSF CAREER Award
  • 2025: Outstanding Research Award, Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech
  • 2024: Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry- Presidential Citation for Exemplary Service
  • 2024: Virginia Tech Institute for Society, Culture and Environment (ISCE) PREP Scholar
  • 2023: Outstanding Service Award, Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech 
  • 2022: Mid-Atlantic PREP & IMSD Research Symposium (MAPRS) Distinguished PREP Alumni Awardee
  • 2021: SETAC North America Eugene Kenaga Membership Award
  • 2021: Virginia Tech Sendlebeck Diversity Fellow
  • 2020: Virginia Tech Future Faculty for Diversity Program Scholar
  • 2019: SETAC STEO Award: Visiting Scholar appointment at Duke University 
  • 2019: Natural, Physical, and Mathematical Sciences award at the 2019 UNCG Graduate Research Expo
  • 2019: SETAC North America: Presidential Citation for Exemplary Service
  • 2018: Distinguished Dr. Steve J. Klaine Presentation Award at CSETAC Annual Meeting 
  • 2018: SETAC North America: Presidential Citation for Exemplary Service
  • 2017: Recipient of the NC Sea Grant/WRRI Graduate Research Fellowship
  • 2017: Recipient of the John O’Brien Field Research Award 

Recent Media and News

  • The why: Austin Gray is on a quest to decode microplastics. (link)
  • A New World for Microbes, North Carolina Sea Grant Coastwatch Magazine. (link)
  • Researchers detect microplastics in the exhaled air of bottlenose dolphins, Virginia Tech News. (link)
  • Microplastics are sickening and killing wildlife, disrupting Earth's Systems, Montego Bay. (link)
  • Wild dolphins off US Southeast coast found with microplastics in their breath, study says, CNN Science. (link)
  • Microplastic pollution is everywhere, even in the exhaled breath of dolphins – new research. The Conversation. (link)
  • Microplastics detected in dolphin breath, Eureka. (link)
  • Plastics Are Turning Up in Dolphin Breath. The New York Times. (link)
  • Disturbing Discovery: Dolphins Breathe Out Microplastics, Scitech Daily. (link)
  • Dolphins breathe in microplastics and it could be damaging their lungs, New Scientist. (link)
  • Dolphins are inhaling microplastics just like humans, study finds, The Independent. (link)
  • Microplastics found in dolphin breath – study, MSN. (link)
  • Team at Virginia Tech uncovering details about microplastic pollution in Chesapeake Bay, WVTF News. (link)
  • VT Science Corner: What should we know about plastics? The Roanoke Times. (link)
  • Virginia Tech professors analyze recent train derailments, WBDJ. (link)
  • Are “green” household consumer products less toxic than traditional products? Eureka. (link)
  • Local professor studying discarded plastics toll on coastal wetlands, The Roanoke Times. (link)
  • Virginia Tech professor studying discarded plastics and their toll on shrimp and fish, The Virginian Pilot Newspaper. (link)
  • How to take the lead in your career, Nature. (link)
  • Breaking Systemic Barriers, Coastwatch. (link)