PEOPLE
Principal Investigator
KAREN LEVY, PhD, MPH
Karen is a Professor in the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences at the University of Washington School of Public Health. She holds adjunct faculty positions in the Department of Epidemiology and Department of Global Health at UW, as well as at the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University. She earned her PhD (2007), Master of Public Health (2006), and Master of Science (2002) degrees from UC Berkeley, and her Bachelors degree (1995) from Stanford University.
Current Lab Members
Viviana AlbÁn
Viviana received her MS in Microbiology from the Universidad San Francisco de Quito (USFQ) in Ecuador and is currently pursuing her PhD in the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences at the University of Washington. She is interested in characterizing the impact of animal exposure on the gut microbiome/resistome and health-related outcomes of infants from the northwestern coastal region of Ecuador.
valban (at) uw (dot) edu
valban (at) uw (dot) edu
Irmarie Cotto
Irmarie is an NSF ASEE Postdoctoral eFellow at the University of Washington. She holds a Ph.D. (2022) in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Northeastern University and a Master of Science (2016) and Bachelor's degrees (2012) from the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez (UPRM). Irmarie has experience in the use of molecular methods and bioinformatics and is interested in exploring the impact of animal husbandry on antibiotic resistance burden in the household environment.
icotto25 (at) uw (dot) edu
icotto25 (at) uw (dot) edu
Christine Fagnant-Sperati
Christa is the Laboratory Manager for the Levy Lab. She received her MSE in Environmental Engineering at the University of Washington, focusing on solar production of free chlorine. Christa is interested in environmental surveillance of pathogens, particularly poliovirus and Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi, and WASH interventions in low-resource settings. She supports Dr. Levy on multiple projects.
cfagnant (at) uw (dot) edu
cfagnant (at) uw (dot) edu
CAITLIN HEMLOCK
Caitlin is a Postdoctoral Scholar-Fellow in the Levy Lab with interests in environmental health, WASH, and interventions to improve child health and development. She received her PhD in Epidemiology from the University of California, Berkeley and her MS from George Washington University in Microbiology and Infectious Diseases.
chemlock (at) uw (dot) edu
chemlock (at) uw (dot) edu
Kelsey Jesser
Kelsey is a former Levy lab postdoc and current Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences at the University of Washington. She is interested in the ecology and virulence characteristics of environmental human pathogens, and studies the environmental and human-health related dynamics of enteric pathogens in Ecuador and Mozambique using molecular and sequence-based methods.
Manuscript: Why are so many enteric pathogen infections asymptomatic? Pathogen and gut microbiome characteristics associated with diarrhea symptoms and carriage of diarrheagenic E. coli in northern Ecuador
Published in Gut Microbes
kjesser (at) uw (dot) edu
Manuscript: Why are so many enteric pathogen infections asymptomatic? Pathogen and gut microbiome characteristics associated with diarrhea symptoms and carriage of diarrheagenic E. coli in northern Ecuador
Published in Gut Microbes
kjesser (at) uw (dot) edu
Rebecca Kann
Rebecca is pursuing a PhD in the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences at the University of Washington. She holds a BS in Environmental Engineering from University of Wisconsin-Madison and an MSPH in Environmental Health and Epidemiology from Emory University. She is interested in environmental epidemiology and understanding the impacts of WASH infrastructure on health.
rkann (at) uw (dot) edu
Manuscript: Water, sanitation, and hygiene insecurity and disease prevention behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic in low-income neighborhoods of Beira, Mozambique
Published in PLOS ONE
rkann (at) uw (dot) edu
Manuscript: Water, sanitation, and hygiene insecurity and disease prevention behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic in low-income neighborhoods of Beira, Mozambique
Published in PLOS ONE
Maya Lubeck-Schricker
Maya holds a bachelor's degree in Community Health from Tufts University and is currently pursuing an MS in Epidemiology at the University of Washington. Maya has experience working on the research and innovation team at a container-based sanitation provider operating in Cap Haitien, Haiti and is interested in the implementation and evaluation of global WASH interventions. Maya is working on a MS thesis project advised by Dr. Levy on the sanitation-related quality of life of container-based sanitation users.
mayals (at) uw (dot) edu
mayals (at) uw (dot) edu
Janette Mejino
Janette is an undergraduate student pursuing her BS in Biochemistry from the University of Washington, with minors in Microbiology and Chemistry, who will graduate in 2025. She works with the Levy Lab as a part of the NIEHS-funded Supporting Undergraduate Research Experiences in Environmental Health (SURE-EH) program. Her research with the Levy Lab focuses on the persistence of enteric pathogens in children in Ecuador as a part of the ECoMiD project.
jmejin (at) uw (dot) edu
jmejin (at) uw (dot) edu
Molly Miller-Petrie
Molly is a Research Assistant in the Levy Lab and PhD candidate in Epidemiology at the University of Washington. She received her MSc in Control of Infectious Diseases at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. She has a background working for global non-profits on water and sanitation, antibiotic resistance, and neonatal health research, and as a scientific writer. She is interested in infectious disease control in low- resource settings and mixed-methods research with a focus on health equity.
Thesis Title (MSc): Infant and young child feces management and enabling products for their hygienic collection, transport, and disposal in Cambodia
Published in AJTMH
mmpetrie (at) uw (dot) edu
Thesis Title (MSc): Infant and young child feces management and enabling products for their hygienic collection, transport, and disposal in Cambodia
Published in AJTMH
mmpetrie (at) uw (dot) edu
Courtney (Poulos) victor
Courtney received her PhD in Environmental Health Sciences at Emory University in October, 2024. She has a background in infectious disease research, particularly on vector-borne and enteric diseases and holds a BA in Biology from the University of Alabama and a MPH in Global Environmental Health and a certificate in WASH from Emory University. She is interested in how water and sanitation impact the ecology of infectious diseases, particularly in resource-limited countries.
Manuscript: Spatial Heterogeneity of Neighborhood-Level Water and Sanitation Access in Informal Urban Settlements: A Cross-Sectional Case Study in Beira, Mozambique
Published in PLOS Water
courtney.m.poulos (at) emory (dot) edu
Manuscript: Spatial Heterogeneity of Neighborhood-Level Water and Sanitation Access in Informal Urban Settlements: A Cross-Sectional Case Study in Beira, Mozambique
Published in PLOS Water
courtney.m.poulos (at) emory (dot) edu
Xinzhe(Clara) Zhong
Clara is a current MS student in Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences at the University of Washington. She holds a BA in Molecular and Cell Biology from the University of California, Berkeley. She is interested in using molecular methods to assess animal exposure factors in enteric pathogens transmission.
xinzhe27 (at) uw (dot) edu
xinzhe27 (at) uw (dot) edu
Nicolette Zhou
Nicolette is a Research Scientist in the Levy Lab. Her current research focus is on improving wastewater-based epidemiology approaches for poliovirus, Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi, and SARS-CoV-2. Nicolette earned her PhD (2015) and MSE (2012) in Environmental Engineering at the University of Washington, and her BS (2010) in Chemical Engineering from the University of Alabama. She is working with Dr. Levy on the development of TaqMan Array Cards for the detection of enteric pathogens.
nicolette.zhou (at) gmail (dot) com
nicolette.zhou (at) gmail (dot) com
AVIVA & Zuria Brosi
Honorary lab members. They provide essential training to Dr. Levy on childrens' health.
Lab alumni
SHARIA AHMED
Sharia completed her MPH in Global Epidemiology at Emory in 2012, and then worked with Dr. Levy as research staff on an analysis of the seasonality and climatic drivers of pathogenic E. coli, Cryptosporidium, and Norovirus.
Thesis Title: The Global Seasonality of Norovirus Gastroenteritis
Published in PLoS One
ahme0129 (at) gmail (dot) com
Thesis Title: The Global Seasonality of Norovirus Gastroenteritis
Published in PLoS One
ahme0129 (at) gmail (dot) com
Forest Altherr
Forest completed his MPH in Epidemiology at Emory in 2017. He worked with Dr. Levy in Piura, Peru, on a project evaluating the association between water quality and the infant gut microbiome. He carried out his thesis research as an intern with the Carter Center.
Thesis Title: Integrating a Geographic Information System to Explore the Effect of Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene on Trachoma at Aggregate Spatial Scales
forest.altherr (at) emory (dot) edu
Thesis Title: Integrating a Geographic Information System to Explore the Effect of Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene on Trachoma at Aggregate Spatial Scales
forest.altherr (at) emory (dot) edu
ALEJANDRA ALVAREZ
Alejandra completed her MPH in Epidemiology with the WaSH certificate, using water quality data from Ecuador. She has a background in Spanish Literature and Health Studies from Haverford College. Her research interests include health outcomes among Latinx communities abroad and in the US.
Thesis title: Impact of Water Quality Variability on Associations Between Water Quality and Water Sample Characteristics, Diarrhea Outcome, and Helminth Infection, in Northern Coastal Ecuador
alejandra.alvarez (at) emory (dot) edu
Thesis title: Impact of Water Quality Variability on Associations Between Water Quality and Water Sample Characteristics, Diarrhea Outcome, and Helminth Infection, in Northern Coastal Ecuador
alejandra.alvarez (at) emory (dot) edu
Faiza Awale
Faiza graduated from the University of Washington with a BA in Public Health - Global Health and a minor in Data Science in 2023. She is interested in infectious disease surveillance epidemiology and the promotion of healthy outcomes in marginalized communities through public health interventions. She worked with Dr. Levy through the NIEHS-funded SURE-EH (Supporting Undergraduate Research Experiences in Environmental Health) program.
fawale (at) uw (dot) edu
fawale (at) uw (dot) edu
April Ballard
April received her PhD in Environmental Health Sciences at Emory University in 2023. She is interested in social and environmental determinants of health in the context of WASH among rural and vulnerable populations. She holds a BA in Biology and Spanish Language & Literature from Transylvania University and a MPH in Epidemiology and Environmental Health from the University of Kentucky. She workedwith Dr. Levy to understand socioecological factors related to environmental exposure and the impact on gut microbiome of infants in coastal Ecuador.
Manuscript: ‘You feel how you look’: Exploring the impacts of unmet water, sanitation, and hygiene needs among rural people experiencing homelessness and their intersection with drug use
Published in PLOS WATER
Manuscript: "Measurement in the study of human exposure to animal feces: A systematic review and audit"
Published in the International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health
april.ballard (at) emory (dot) edu
Manuscript: ‘You feel how you look’: Exploring the impacts of unmet water, sanitation, and hygiene needs among rural people experiencing homelessness and their intersection with drug use
Published in PLOS WATER
Manuscript: "Measurement in the study of human exposure to animal feces: A systematic review and audit"
Published in the International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health
april.ballard (at) emory (dot) edu
Poulami Basu Thakur
Poulami is a PhD student in the Microbiology and Molecular Genetics program. She is interested in global infectious diseases, antibiotic resistant bugs and the microbiome. She holds a BS in Biological Sciences from the University of Calcutta in India and a MS in Microbiology from Texas A&M University in College Station, TX. She completed a rotation with Dr. Levy in conjunction with the CDC during Fall 2019/Spring 2020. Her project involved working on the diurnal variation in human fecal pollution and antibiotic resistance genes in the Chattahoochee river.
poulami.basu.thakur (at) emory (dot) edu
poulami.basu.thakur (at) emory (dot) edu
ANNALISE BLUM
Annalise worked with Dr. Levy on her Stanford undergraduate thesis in Ecuador, which she completed in 2010.
Thesis Title: Are equitable and sustainable rural water systems a pipe dream? A case study of Borbón and Timbire, Ecuador
annaliseblum (at) gmail (dot) com
Thesis Title: Are equitable and sustainable rural water systems a pipe dream? A case study of Borbón and Timbire, Ecuador
annaliseblum (at) gmail (dot) com
DAVID BERENDES
David was an Environmental Health Sciences PhD student who completed a rotation with Dr. Levy during Summer/Fall 2012, focusing on environmental sanitation microbiology. In conjunction with the CDC, he carried out an evaluation of a composting latrine system in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.
Manuscript: Ascaris and Escherichia coli Inactivation in an Ecological Sanitation System in Port-au-Prince, Haiti
Published in PLoS One
dberen2 (at) emory (dot) edu
Manuscript: Ascaris and Escherichia coli Inactivation in an Ecological Sanitation System in Port-au-Prince, Haiti
Published in PLoS One
dberen2 (at) emory (dot) edu
KATE BOHNERT
Kate received her MPH student in Global Health in 2015. She worked on a project in northern Ecuador focusing on the role that human travel between urban and rural regions plays in determining the distribution and circulation of strains of pathogenic E. coli.
Thesis Title: Impact of Human Movement on Water and Sanitation Practices and Diarrhea Risk
Published in Tropical Medicine & International Health
kate.bohnert (at) emory (dot) edu
Thesis Title: Impact of Human Movement on Water and Sanitation Practices and Diarrhea Risk
Published in Tropical Medicine & International Health
kate.bohnert (at) emory (dot) edu
NICK BRAYKOV
Nick received his MSc from the Population Biology, Ecology and Evolution program in 2015. He worked on several projects related to antibiotic resistance and microbial genomics. He now works at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta.
Thesis Title: Reservoirs and Within-Host Dynamics of Antibiotic Resistance Associated with Small-Scale Poultry Production in Northwest Ecuador
Published in mSphere
nikolay.braykov (at) emory (dot) edu
Thesis Title: Reservoirs and Within-Host Dynamics of Antibiotic Resistance Associated with Small-Scale Poultry Production in Northwest Ecuador
Published in mSphere
nikolay.braykov (at) emory (dot) edu
Futu Chen
Futu was a MPH student in Environmental Health interested in climate change and concentration-response functions of air pollutants, and graduated in 2016. She carried out a practicum with Dr. Levy studying irrigation ponds and land use identification in South Georgia using Geographic Information System (GIS) and remote sensing.
futu.chen (at) emory (dot) edu
futu.chen (at) emory (dot) edu
MIRANDA DELAHOY
Miranda got her PhD in Environmental Health Sciences in 2019, and now works at the CDC. She is interested in diarrheal disease, environmental epidemiology, and the seasonality of infectious diseases. She also holds a BA in Mathematics and Politics from Oberlin College and a MSPH in Environmental Health and Epidemiology with a graduate certificate in Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene from Emory University.
Dissertation title: Challenges in reducing the burden of childhood diarrhea in Peru
Work published in Environmental Science & Technology
International Journal of Hygiene & Environmental Health
Environmental Health
Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal and
the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
mirandadelahoy (at) gmail (dot) com
Dissertation title: Challenges in reducing the burden of childhood diarrhea in Peru
Work published in Environmental Science & Technology
International Journal of Hygiene & Environmental Health
Environmental Health
Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal and
the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
mirandadelahoy (at) gmail (dot) com
Matthew Derrico
Matthew holds a MPH in Global Environmental Health with a focus in Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) from Emory University. He is interested in understanding the effects of urbanization on water access and quality in peri-urban communities, and in the summer of 2018 worked with Drs. Levy and Freeman in Mozambique, where he previously served as a Peace Corps Volunteer.
matthew.derrico (at) emory (dot) edu
matthew.derrico (at) emory (dot) edu
ANIRUDDHA (ANI) DESHPANDE
Ani earned his MPH in Global Epidemiology in 2016. He has interests in spatial analysis, global health, infectious diseases and water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH). He wrote his thesis on the association between heavy rainfall events and diarrheal disease in Ecuador.
Thesis Title: Heavy Rainfall Events and Diarrheal Diseases: The Role of Urban–Rural Geography
Published in the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
adesh (at) uw (dot) edu
Thesis Title: Heavy Rainfall Events and Diarrheal Diseases: The Role of Urban–Rural Geography
Published in the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
adesh (at) uw (dot) edu
EQUIPO EcoZUR
The EcoZUR project team included field staff from Borbón (Mauricio Ayovi and Denys Tenorio) and students from Universidad San Francisco de Quito (Lorena Montero and Maritza Paez) and Universidad Central del Ecuador (Xavier Sanchez and Edison Puebla).
Kirsten Fagerli
Kirsten completed her MPH in Global Environmental Health in 2016, and Dr. Levy co-advised her thesis, in collaboration with Dr. Ciara O'Reilly at the CDC. Her interests are in global health, infectious diseases, and water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH).
Thesis title: Risk Factors and Clinical Characteristics Associated with Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli Infection Among Children Less than Five Years Old with Moderate-to-Severe Diarrhea in Rural Western Kenya, 2008-2012
kirstenfagerli (at) gmail (dot) com
Thesis title: Risk Factors and Clinical Characteristics Associated with Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli Infection Among Children Less than Five Years Old with Moderate-to-Severe Diarrhea in Rural Western Kenya, 2008-2012
kirstenfagerli (at) gmail (dot) com
Joana Falcão
Joana was the Research Coordinator for the PAASIM study assessing the impacts of urban water systems on enteric pathogens, gut microbiome, and gut health and development of children in Beira, Mozambique during 2018. Joana completed her MPH at The Melbourne University in 2013, and she has many years of experience working in Mozambique and elsewhere on the implementation, management, and evaluation of various public health programs and research projects. Her interests are in epidemiology, global health and environmental, social and individual drivers of health related behaviors.
jfalcao (at) emory (dot) edu
jfalcao (at) emory (dot) edu
AYA Fanny
Aya received her MD/MPH dual degree in 2016. She is interested in pediatrics, infectious diseases and global health. She worked with Dr. Levy and Dr. Philip Cooper from the Fundación Ecuatoriana para Investigaciones de Salud (FEPIS) to conduct a study on household water quality variability and its effects on waterborne infections in Quinindé, northern Ecuador.
Thesis title: Water, Worms and Weird Diseases: Water Quality Variability and Pediatric Health Outcomes in Northern Coastal Ecuador
sfanny (at) emory (dot) edu
Thesis title: Water, Worms and Weird Diseases: Water Quality Variability and Pediatric Health Outcomes in Northern Coastal Ecuador
sfanny (at) emory (dot) edu
Hannah Flores
Hannah received her BS in Microbiology at the University of Washington in 2022. Her interests include bacterial genetics, epidemiology, and the role that local legislation plays in the health of Washington’s most vulnerable populations. She worked with the Levy Lab as a part of the NIEHS-funded SURE-EH (Supporting Undergraduate Research Experiences in Environmental Health) program on a study that identifies pathogens in wastewater from RV homes around the King County area. She also belonged to the Furlong lab in the Department of Medical Genetics, working with mice that encode paraoxonase (PON1), an HDL-associated enzyme that inactivates the toxic metabolites of several organophosphate pesticides and nerve agents.
reiflore (at) uw (dot) edu
reiflore (at) uw (dot) edu
REBECCA GOLDSTEIN
Rebecca received her MPH in Global Health in 2015. She was a research assistant in Dr. Levy's research group, and worked on a literature review on climatic drivers of diarrheal diseases.
Work published in International Journal of Epidemiology
and Environmental Science and Technology
rebecca.sophie.goldstein (at) emory (dot) edu
Work published in International Journal of Epidemiology
and Environmental Science and Technology
rebecca.sophie.goldstein (at) emory (dot) edu
MARISSA GROSSMAN
Marissa is a PhD student in the Population Biology, Ecology, and Evolution program at Emory. She completed her MPH in the Global Environmental Health program at Emory in 2012 with Dr. Levy as her adviser. She also worked with Dr. Levy on analysis of data on Salmonella in irrigation ponds in South Georgia.
Thesis Title: Antibiotic resistance associated with small-scale poultry farming in rural Ecuador
Published in mSphere.
Also contributed to work published in Foodborne Pathogens & Disease
marissa.grossman (at) emory (dot) edu
Thesis Title: Antibiotic resistance associated with small-scale poultry farming in rural Ecuador
Published in mSphere.
Also contributed to work published in Foodborne Pathogens & Disease
marissa.grossman (at) emory (dot) edu
Eric Hall
Eric received his MPH in Global Epidemiology in 2015. He worked with Dr. Levy to complete his thesis on travel as a risk factor for diarrheal disease in northern Ecuador.
Thesis Title: Travel as a Risk Factor for Diarrheal Disease: Analysis of a Case-Control Study in Ecuador
Published in Tropical Medicine & International Health
eric.w.hall (at) emory (dot) edu
Thesis Title: Travel as a Risk Factor for Diarrheal Disease: Analysis of a Case-Control Study in Ecuador
Published in Tropical Medicine & International Health
eric.w.hall (at) emory (dot) edu
Becky Hodge
Becky completed her MSPH in Environmental Health and Epidemiology in 2017. She carried out fieldwork in Piura, Peru on the relationship between chemical and microbial drinking water quality and the gut microbiome of infants.
rebecca.hodge (at) emory (dot) edu
rebecca.hodge (at) emory (dot) edu
SYDNEY HUBBARD
Sydney received her PhD in Environmental Health Sciences at Emory University in 2023. She is interested in the interplay of climate, health, and WASH interventions in urban and peri-urban settings in resource-limited countries. She holds a BS in Biology from the University of Dayton and a MPH in Epidemiology from Emory. She is worked with Dr. Levy on the PAASIM study examining the potential impacts of improved water supply on enteric pathogen infection, gut microbiome composition, and other health outcomes in infants in Beira, Mozambique.
Manuscript: Effectiveness of interventions to improve drinking water, sanitation, and handwashing with soap on risk of diarrhoeal disease in children in low-income and middle-income settings: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Published in The Lancet
sydney.corinne.hubbard (at) emory (dot) edu
Manuscript: Effectiveness of interventions to improve drinking water, sanitation, and handwashing with soap on risk of diarrhoeal disease in children in low-income and middle-income settings: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Published in The Lancet
sydney.corinne.hubbard (at) emory (dot) edu
Frederica (Freddy) Lamar
Freddy received her PhD in Environmental Health Sciences at Emory University in 2022. She is interested in the intersection of water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) and behavior change interventions in low and middle income countries. She also holds a BS in Environmental Engineering from Johns Hopkins University and a MSPH in Global Environmental Health Sciences from the Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine.
Thesis title: ChickFlows in Maputo, Mozambique: High-risk Behaviors, Management Practices, and Pathways for Childhood Exposure to Enteropathogens from Chickens
Thesis title: ChickFlows in Maputo, Mozambique: High-risk Behaviors, Management Practices, and Pathways for Childhood Exposure to Enteropathogens from Chickens
DEBBIE LEE
Debbie completed her PhD in Environmental Health Sciences in 2018. Here interests in the connection between the environment and infectious diseases led to her dissertation project studying Salmonella in irrigation ponds in South Georgia.
Dissertation title: Salmonella Survival and Transport in the Environment: Implications for Produce Safety and Human Health Risk
Published in Foodborne Pathogens & Disease
lee.debbiee (at) gmail (dot) com
Dissertation title: Salmonella Survival and Transport in the Environment: Implications for Produce Safety and Human Health Risk
Published in Foodborne Pathogens & Disease
lee.debbiee (at) gmail (dot) com
Colleen Leonard
Colleen completed her MPH in Global Epidemiology with a graduate certificate in Water, Sanitation and Hygiene in 2018. She is interested in the epidemiology of waterborne diseases and the association between the environment and the transmission of infectious diseases.
Thesis title: Impact of Intermittent Piped Water Supply on Health Outcomes among Children under five in Angola, Ethiopia, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe
colleen.leonard (at) emory (dot) edu
Thesis title: Impact of Intermittent Piped Water Supply on Health Outcomes among Children under five in Angola, Ethiopia, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe
colleen.leonard (at) emory (dot) edu
Becky Mackay
Becky holds a BA in Global Studies from the University of Minnesota and a MPH in Global Health from Emory University. She is interested in health systems strengthening, how interventions at different levels impact public health outcomes, specifically related to water and sanitation, infectious diseases, and gender inequalities.
DANIELLE MARHANKA
Danielle is pursuing her MPH in Global Health, concentrating in Nutrition, and completing a maternal and child health (MCH) certificate. She has a background in Anthropology and Human Biology from Emory University, and is a Returned Peace Corps Health Volunteer from Mozambique. Within the scope of MCH, her interests include immediate and long term considerations of gestational development on chronic disease outcome and inter-generational effects on health.
danielle.a.marhanka (at) emory (dot) edu
danielle.a.marhanka (at) emory (dot) edu
Mia catharine mattioli
Mia Catharine was a postdoctoral scholar in Dr. Levy's lab in 2015-2016. She worked on a collaborative project between the CDC, the University of Georgia, and Emory studying the use of ultra-filtration as means for monitoring water-borne pathogens, fecal indicator bacterial, and microbial source tracking molecular markers in irrigation waters on southeastern Georgia produce farms. She is now the Activity Lead for domestic water, sanitation, and hygiene projects at the Environmental Microbiology lab at CDC, in the Waterborne Disease Prevention branch. She is also an adjunct assistant professor in Emory's Dept. of Environmental Health.
miacatharine (at) gmail (dot) com
miacatharine (at) gmail (dot) com
Kelly McCain
Kelly worked with Dr. Levy during the 2018-19 academic year. She carried out a validation study on stool collection methods, among other projects. Kelly has a BA in Human Biology from the University of Virginia and is working on MSPH at Rollins School of Public Health in Global Epidemiology with a certificate in Complex Humanitarian Emergencies. She is interested in water and sanitation, the epidemiology of infectious diseases, especially waterborne diseases.
kelly.mccain (at) emory (dot) edu
kelly.mccain (at) emory (dot) edu
ALYSSA MILLER
Alyssa received her MPH in Epidemiology at Emory University. She has a background in Neuroscience and Gender and Health from the University of Michigan. She is interested in applying epidemiologic methods to investigate the health effects of climate change while considering potential interactions with social stressors and the built environment. She worked with Dr. Levy on her MPH thesis studying the association between sewer overflow events and ER visits for GI illness in Atlanta.
Thesis Title: Time-series Analysis of Combined Sewer Overflows and Gastrointestinal Illness in Atlanta, 2002 to 2013
Published in Environmental Health Perspectives
Alyssa received her MPH in Epidemiology at Emory University. She has a background in Neuroscience and Gender and Health from the University of Michigan. She is interested in applying epidemiologic methods to investigate the health effects of climate change while considering potential interactions with social stressors and the built environment. She worked with Dr. Levy on her MPH thesis studying the association between sewer overflow events and ER visits for GI illness in Atlanta.
Thesis Title: Time-series Analysis of Combined Sewer Overflows and Gastrointestinal Illness in Atlanta, 2002 to 2013
Published in Environmental Health Perspectives
Lorena MonterO
Lorena is completed her Masters degree in Microbiology at Universidad San Francisco de Quito, under the direction of Dr. Gabriel Trueba, in 2016. Her thesis focuse on characterizing pathogenic E. coli and antibiotic resistance in samples collected in Quito, Ecuador through Dr. Levy’s EcoZUR project.
Thesis title: Escherichia coli pathotypes from Ecuador: association with diarrhea and antibiotic resistance
Work published in Tropical Medicine & International Health
lpmonterot (at) gmail (dot) com
Thesis title: Escherichia coli pathotypes from Ecuador: association with diarrhea and antibiotic resistance
Work published in Tropical Medicine & International Health
lpmonterot (at) gmail (dot) com
Karena Nguyen
Karena is a Postdoctoral Fellow with the FIRST program at Emory University, co-advised by Dave Civitello. She is interested in developing environmental DNA sampling methods for detecting schistosomiasis in aquatic habitats. Karena received her PhD in Integrative Biology at the University of South Florida, where she examined the impact of temperature on the human parasite Schistosoma mansoni and its intermediate snail host, Biomphalaria glabrata. She also conducted research using microbial source tracking (MST) to identify sources of fecal contamination in impacted water bodies in central Florida. To learn more, please visit her website. She worked with Dr. Levy to implement MST techniques to identify potential sources of enteric pathogens in Ecuador and Mozambique.
Work published in Frontiers in Microbiology
Work published in Frontiers in Microbiology
Shaiana Oliveira
Shaiana is an MPH candidate with a concentration in Global Environmental Health pursuing the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) certificate. She is interested in the intersection of WASH and maternal and child health, focused on reducing child mortality. She worked with Drs. Levy and Freeman in Mozambique during summer 2018 to understand the impact of poor animal feces management and its possible impact on child health.
shaiana.oliveira (at) emory (dot) edu
shaiana.oliveira (at) emory (dot) edu
SHANNON OLIVER
Shannon worked with Dr. Levy while completing his graduate thesis for a Master of Public Health in Global Environmental Health, which he received in 2011.
Thesis Title: Efficacy of chlorine dosage recommendations on the microbiologic quality of turbid waters
Thesis Title: Efficacy of chlorine dosage recommendations on the microbiologic quality of turbid waters
Estefania Ortega
Estefania completed her Masters degree in Microbiology at Universidad San Francisco de Quito, in Dr. Gabriel Trueba's laboratory, in 2018. She is interested in molecular biology of pathogenic microorganisms and in antibiotic resistance, and she worked on Dr. Levy’s EcoZUR project.
Thesis title: Escherichia coli pathotypes associated with diarrhea in Borbon- Ecuador and antibiotic resistance
Work published in Tropical Medicine & International Health
estefania1058 (at) gmail (dot) com
Thesis title: Escherichia coli pathotypes associated with diarrhea in Borbon- Ecuador and antibiotic resistance
Work published in Tropical Medicine & International Health
estefania1058 (at) gmail (dot) com
Maritza Paez
Maritza received her Masters degree microbiology at Universidad San Francisco de Quito, studying with Gabriel Trueba. For her thesis she is focused on pathogenic E. coli samples collected in Esmeraldas, Ecuador as part of Dr. Levy’s EcoZUR project.
Thesis title: Escherichia coli pathotypes associated with diarrhea in a Coastal Ecuadorian city
Work published in Tropical Medicine & International Health
mpaezllerena86 (at) gmail (dot) com
Breanna Pennings
Breanna has a BA in Public Health from Calvin College and a MPH in Global Environmental Health with a graduate certificate in Water, Sanitation and Hygiene. She has a passion for providing clean, accessible water to individuals, with a growing interest in how one's environment influences bacteria levels in water sources. She is working with Dr. Levy on household environmental sampling techniques in coastal Ecuador.
breanna.pennings (at) emory (dot) edu
breanna.pennings (at) emory (dot) edu
WHITNEY PENNINGTON
Whitney was an Environmental Health masters student in the BS-MPH program and worked with Dr. Levy to establish methods to evaluate the surface of harvested produce for Salmonella.
Thesis Title: Establishing a Method for Microbiological Evaluation of Fresh Produce at Risk for Salmonella Contamination
whitney.pennington (at) emory (dot) edu
Thesis Title: Establishing a Method for Microbiological Evaluation of Fresh Produce at Risk for Salmonella Contamination
whitney.pennington (at) emory (dot) edu
Brigitte Pfluger
Brigitte is pursuing a PhD in Nutrition and Health Sciences at Emory University. She is interested in One Health-focused research exploring how human, environmental, and animal health and nutrition affect child growth and cognition. She holds a BA from East Carolina University in International Studies and Hispanic Studies, and an MA in Latin American Studies from the University of Florida.
brigitte.pfluger (at) emory (dot) edu
brigitte.pfluger (at) emory (dot) edu
REBECCA (BECCA) PHILIPSBORN
Becca carried out her medical school Discovery Phase project with Dr. Levy during 2012 on the seasonality of diarrheagenic E. coli.
Discovery Project Title: Seasonality of Diarrheagenic Escherichia coli: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.
Published in International Journal of Epidemiology
rpass (at) emory (dot) edu
Discovery Project Title: Seasonality of Diarrheagenic Escherichia coli: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.
Published in International Journal of Epidemiology
rpass (at) emory (dot) edu
GOUTHAMI RAO
Gouthami worked in Dr. Levy's lab from 2010-13 while working on her BS/MPH degree. She was involved in several projects, and spent two summers doing fieldwork in Ecuador, first assisting Marissa Grossman on a study of environmental reservoirs of antibiotic resistance and later carrying out independent research on river water quality.
Thesis Title: Microscale Dynamics of Escherichia coli in Rivers of Northern Coastal Ecuador
Published in Water
grao08 (at) gmail (dot) com
Thesis Title: Microscale Dynamics of Escherichia coli in Rivers of Northern Coastal Ecuador
Published in Water
grao08 (at) gmail (dot) com
Check out Gouthami Rao's Award Winning Video Talk Dirty to Me !
KATHARINE (KATE) ROBB
Kate completed her MPH in Global Environmental Health in 2011. She conducted her Global Field Experience and Master’s thesis in Ecuador under the direction of Dr. Levy, examining how factors like turbidity and household storage characteristics influenced reductions in contamination of stored water treated with chlorine .
Thesis Title: Influences of Household Storage on E. coli Concentration in Drinking Water in Northern Coastal Ecuador
Published in Water Research
karobb (at) emory (dot) edu
Thesis Title: Influences of Household Storage on E. coli Concentration in Drinking Water in Northern Coastal Ecuador
Published in Water Research
karobb (at) emory (dot) edu
LISA RODZIEWICZ
Lisa was an Emory medical school student and carried out her Discovery Phase project with Dr. Levy in 2015-16. She worked at the Universidad San Francisco de Quito on Proyecto EcoZUR, studying the role that human travel between urban and rural regions plays in determining the distribution and circulation of strains of pathogenic E. coli in Ecuador.
lisa.rodziewicz (at) emory (dot) edu
lisa.rodziewicz (at) emory (dot) edu
Andrew Rothstein
Andy is a postdoctoral scholar interested in -omic applications to environmental pathogens. He holds a PhD in Environmental Science, Policy, & Management from the University of California, Berkeley, where he used genomic methods to explore pathogen dynamics in amphibians and support endangered species recovery efforts. He is working with Dr. Levy to develop a variety of methods (e.g. TaqMan Array Cards and metagenomics) to detect and characterize a broad range of bacterial, viral, and parasitic enteropathogens.
Rachel Silver
Rachel completed her MPH in Global Epidemiology in 2017. Her thesis focused on the effect that increasing temperatures have on the global incidence rates of E. coli, Norovirus, and Cryptosporidium.
Thesis Title: Climatic Drivers and Heterogeneity of Diarrheal Disease, according to Pathogenic Class
rachel.silver (at) emory (dot) edu
Thesis Title: Climatic Drivers and Heterogeneity of Diarrheal Disease, according to Pathogenic Class
rachel.silver (at) emory (dot) edu
Elizabeth Sajewski
Elizabeth is pursuing a PhD in Environmental Health Sciences. She is interested in the environmental drivers of infectious disease, with particular interests in the dynamics of enteric and waterborne pathogens. She holds a BSE in Environmental Engineering from Princeton University. She worked with Drs. Levy & Freeman in Mozambique during the summer of 2018.
elizabeth.tess.sajewski (at) emory (dot) edu
elizabeth.tess.sajewski (at) emory (dot) edu
JETICIA SISTRUNK
Jeticia was a FIRST postdoctoral research fellow in Dr. Levy's lab from 2016-2018 and is now on the faculty at Spelman College in Atlanta. She earned her PhD from the University of Maryland School of Medicine where she used comparative genomics and transcriptomics to understand the diverse clinical presentations of enterotoxigenic E. coli infections. She is interested in incorporating environmental microbiology and global epidemiology to develop effective interventions against gastrointestinal pathogens.
jsistru2 (at) spelman (dot) edu
jsistru2 (at) spelman (dot) edu
Shanon Smith
Shanon completed an MPH in Global Epidemiology with a graduate certificate in Water, Sanitation and Hygiene in 2017 and served as Research Program Associate in the Levy Lab from 2017-2018. She is interested in the association between environmental/climatic factors and waterborne disease rates and distributions, among other things.
Thesis Title: Impact of Human Movement along an Urban-Rural Gradient on Diarrheal Risk and Pathogen-Specific Diarrhea: Case Control Study in Ecuador, 2014 - 2015
Work published in Current Environmental Health Reports and Tropical Medicine & International Health
shanon.smith (at) emory (dot) edu
Thesis Title: Impact of Human Movement along an Urban-Rural Gradient on Diarrheal Risk and Pathogen-Specific Diarrhea: Case Control Study in Ecuador, 2014 - 2015
Work published in Current Environmental Health Reports and Tropical Medicine & International Health
shanon.smith (at) emory (dot) edu
Julia Sobolik
Julia is pursuing a PhD in Environmental Health Sciences with interests in enteric diseases and environmental microbiology. She is particularly interested in the association between water quality and the gut microbiome. She holds a BS in Biology from Oregon State University, an MPH in Global Health from Emory University, and an MS in Microbiology from the University of Washington. She worked with Dr. Levy in Mozambique during the summer of 2018.
julia.sobolik (at) emory (dot) edu
julia.sobolik (at) emory (dot) edu
ASHLEIGH STREBY
Ashleigh completed her MPH in Environmental Health in 2012, and Dr. Levy co-advised her thesis, in collaboration with Dr. Vince Hill at the CDC. Ashleigh also helped develop and TA Dr. Levy's course Research Methods for Studies of Water and Health.
Thesis Title: Comparison of real-time PCR methods to detect Naegleria fowleri in environmental samples
Published in Parasitology Research
ashleigh.streby (at) emory (dot) edu
Thesis Title: Comparison of real-time PCR methods to detect Naegleria fowleri in environmental samples
Published in Parasitology Research
ashleigh.streby (at) emory (dot) edu
Jenna Swarthout
Jenna worked as a Public Health Program Associate with Dr. Levy and Dr. Matt Freeman during 2016-2017 to understand the extent to which exposure to zoonotic fecal pathogens could affect WASH-related diseases in children. She holds a BS in Environmental Engineering from SUNY University at Buffalo and a MS in Environmental Engineering and Science from Stanford University.
Work published in Environmental Science & Technology
and International Journal of Hygiene & Environmental Health
jennaswarthout (at) gmail (dot) com
Work published in Environmental Science & Technology
and International Journal of Hygiene & Environmental Health
jennaswarthout (at) gmail (dot) com
Ashley Thapa
Ashley received her BS from the University of Washington in Public Health – Global Health in 2022. She is interested in environmental and infectious disease epidemiology. She worked with the Levy Lab as a part of the NIEHS-funded SURE-EH (Supporting Undergraduate Research Experiences in Environmental Health) program with a primary focus on TaqMan Array Card positive control validation for the EcoMiD project.
athapa (at) uw (dot) edu
athapa (at) uw (dot) edu
LILY TYNDALL
Lily completed her MPH in Global Environmental Health in 2014. She worked on a literature review and meta-analysis project with Dr. Levy concerning the global seasonality of cryptosporidiosis as it relates to temperature and rainfall.
Thesis Title: The Seasonality and Climatic Drivers of Cryptosporidiosis
lmctyndall (at) gmail (dot) com
Thesis Title: The Seasonality and Climatic Drivers of Cryptosporidiosis
lmctyndall (at) gmail (dot) com
ETHELL VEREEN, JR, PhD
Ethell was a FIRST Postdoctoral Fellow (Fellowships in Research and Science Teaching) in Dr. Levy's lab from 2011-2014. He carried out research investigating the linkage between Atlanta's water distribution system water quality and health, through a study funded by the US EPA and the Water Research Foundation (collaboration with colleagues from Emory RSPH). Ethell also helped develop Dr. Levy's course Research Methods for Studies of Water and Health. He is currently an assistant professor at Morehouse College in Atlanta.
Post-doctoral work published in Journal of Applied Microbiology
ethell.vereen (at) gmail (dot) com
Post-doctoral work published in Journal of Applied Microbiology
ethell.vereen (at) gmail (dot) com
Check out Ethell's Video discussing his experience in the FIRST program
Marissa Vigar
Marissa completed her MPH in Epidemiology at Emory in 2016 and was also a graduate of the WASH certificate program. She is interested in the role of WASH in public health emergencies as well as the more broad topic of oceans and human health. Dr. Levy collaborated to develop her thesis topic and served as thesis advisor.
Thesis Title: Assessing State Preparedness for Drinking Water-Related Public Health Events
marissa.kay.vereen (at) emory (dot) edu
Thesis Title: Assessing State Preparedness for Drinking Water-Related Public Health Events
marissa.kay.vereen (at) emory (dot) edu
Breanna WODNIK
Breanna was a Public Health Program Associate with the Levy Lab, working primarily on the EcoMID project studying influences on gut microbiome development in infants. She previously worked with Dr. Levy on a systematic literature review focused on risks of animal feces exposure. She received her MPH in Global Health and a certificate in WASH from Emory University, and was the 2018 recipient of the Eugene J. Gangarosa Award for outstanding service in the international arena.
breanna.katelin.wodnik (at) emory (dot) edu
breanna.katelin.wodnik (at) emory (dot) edu