Gail Carlson

NRCM Board of Directors

Gail is Associate Professor of Environmental Studies at Colby College and director of Colby’s Buck Lab for Climate and Environment. She teaches courses on environmental public health and activism. Her research relates to the human health impacts of climate change and toxic chemical pollutants. She has published studies characterizing PFAS contamination in central Maine and a survey of Maine physicians about how climate change is affecting their patients. Gail authored the textbook Human Health and the Climate Crisis (2023) and is a member of the Maine Climate Council’s Scientific and Technical Subcommittee, coauthoring its 2024 update Scientific Assessment of Climate Change and Its Effects in Maine. She is a member of the steering committee of the Alliance of Maine Health Professionals for Climate Action and chair of the science advisory council of Defend Our Health. She loves to spend time at the ocean, hiking, and kayaking, and enjoys theater and music. Gail earned a Ph.D. in biochemistry at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She resides in Waterville.