Tom Darrah and his team are focused on three primary areas of research: 1-determining the geological processes that control the migration of fluids (e.g., water, natural gas, oil, carbon dioxide, helium) in the Earth's crust and mantle; 2- developing geochemical techniques that constrain and improve unconventional energy exploration and extraction; 3- applying traditional isotope geochemistry to evaluate the potential impacts of energy extraction on the environment and human health. Dr. Darrah has received funding from the National Science Foundation, the National Institute of Health, the Petroleum Research Fund, and the National Children's Study. At The Ohio State University, he is establishing the Water, Energy, and Life Laboratory (WELL) in the School of Earth Sciences. This facility includes a state of the art noble gas isotope ratio mass spectrometer, gas chromatographs, and cryogenic laser ablation ICP-MS instruments.