Maite (Mai) Berasaluce-Morgado

She/her

Dust Hunter

I'm from: Viña del Mar, Chile
Current Location: Hobart, Tasmania
Position: PhD Candidate
Field of research/work: Environmental Health
YTS Years: 2026

Maite's Notable career moments

  • Graduated as an Agricultural Engineer, specialising in Environmental Sciences

  • Taught environmental science in rural schools, which sparked my curiosity about how the environment affects human health

  • Started a Master’s degree studying how people are exposed to heavy metals in soil and dust, while also working on projects about environmental health and environmental justice

  • Joined a Chilean public service, building skills in data, evidence, and real-world decision-making

  • Moved to Australia to start a PhD in Environmental Health at Menzies Institute for Medical Research and University of Tasmania, now focusing on how people are exposed to pollutants through soil, dust, and especially air pollution

About Maite (Mai) Berasaluce-Morgado

I research something that most people never think twice about: dust!

Dust is much more interesting than it looks. It is made up of tiny particles from all around us, including bits of soil, smoke, pollen, fabric fibres, and even things we bring inside on our shoes and clothes. As an environmental health researcher, I study what builds up in household dust and what it can tell us about the environment and our health, especially for children, who spend lots of time playing on the floor and exploring the world with their hands.

I am originally from Chile in South America, the longest country in the world and home to some of the clearest skies on Earth, making it one of the best places in the world for stargazing. In Chile, I worked with communities affected by industrial pollution, which sparked my interest in how pollution affects human health. Now, I research how air, soil and dust pollution may affect children growing up in Australia.

I love sharing how even the fluff hiding in the corners of a house can reveal surprising secrets about our surroundings.

Maite's Photo Gallery