About
This is the website of Helga D’Havé, science and research journalist living in Gent, Belgium. Helga writes for the Belgian science magazine EOS on Natural, Environmental and Health science related topics. She has been working as a biologist-environmental scientist at the University of Antwerp for more than six years where she worked on hedgehogs.
Water Fleas, Dung Flies, Birds of Prey and Swedish Trees
I studied Biology (University of Ghent) and Human Ecology and Sustainable development (University of Brussels), and was associated to the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences during one year (SLU, Uppsala, Sweden) as an Erasmus student. I worked on several research projects: the effects of agricultural pollution on zoo-plankton in ponds (University of Ghent, 1998), the structure and biomass of pine and spruce in Swedish forests (SLU, Uppsala, Sweden, 1999), environmental pollutants (PCBs and DDTs) in Belgian birds of prey (University of Brussels, 2000), the ecology of flies (Diptera) in poplar forests (University Antwerp, 2000-2001), before I started my PhD at the same University.
A prickly affair: Hedgehogs
For my PhD I studied environmental pollution (heavy metals, PCBs, DDT and other organochorine compounds, and brominated flame retardants) in European hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus) populations in Antwerp (University Antwerp, 2002-2007). More information on my PhD work (and articles in Dutch and English) can be found here and here . My doctoral thesis and peer reviewed articles are available upon request.
From Science to Science Journalism
After having obtained my PhD, I traveled in India and Thailand during nine months. Back home I started with science journalism. At present I am enrolled as a postgraduate International Research Journalism course at the Katholieke Hogeschool Mechelen.
My education:
• International Research Journalism, Katholieke Hogeschool Mechelen, 2010
• Doctor of Science (major Ecotoxicology: hedgehogs, terrestrial mammals, persistent pollutants), University Antwerp, 2006
• Master after master Human Ecology and Sustainable development, University Brussels, 2000
• Master Biology (major Zoology), University Ghent, 1998
