Alasdair Cohen

Alasdair Cohen, PhD, MPH, MSc is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Population Health Sciences at the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Tech. His research focuses on environmental epidemiology, drinking water quality, and sanitation in low-income and rural areas. He holds a PhD in Environmental Science from UC Berkeley, an MPH in Epidemiology from UC Berkeley, and an MSc in Water Science from the University of Oxford.

Key professional experiences include over 10 years of work with UN agencies (IFAD, FAO, WFP), including leading the development of the Multidimensional Poverty Assessment Tool (MPAT), a global monitoring tool used across multiple countries. His research integrates environmental health metrics with socioeconomic factors to improve water programs and reduce health disparities.

Research interests include wastewater-based surveillance for disease monitoring, household water treatment efficacy, and the intersection of climate change with water access. Recent work examines rural Appalachian drinking water safety, antibiotic resistance in sewer systems, and ethical frameworks for wastewater testing.

• Published over 40 peer-reviewed articles across environmental health, epidemiology, and development studies.
• Recipient of grants supporting water quality interventions in India, China, and sub-Saharan Africa.
• Advisor to global health organizations on water safety plans and poverty assessment methodologies.

His lab collaborates with interdisciplinary teams to bridge environmental engineering, public health, and policy-making for equitable water solutions.