甘剑英教授从事环境农药及持久性有机污染物分析及毒理研究多年，著有多本相关著作及近200篇论文，其中有多篇发表在PNAS, ES&T及ETC等知名学术期刊上。甘剑英教授曾获美国农学会Fellow（该学会最高荣誉）、美国科学促进会（AAAS, 2008）Fellow及美国土壤协会Fellow等荣誉。他的研究领域包括：
1）Environmental fate and risk assessment of pesticides, POPs, PPCPs, and PBDEs.
2）Processes of organic contaminants in ecosystems, including biotic and abiotic degradation, adsorption, leaching and runoff.
3）Bioavailability, aquatic bioaccumulation, and ecotoxicity of hydrophobic contaminants.
4）Detoxification and remediation of organic contaminants.
5）Method development for trace contaminant analysis
