Fangqiong Ling

Fangqiong Ling is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Energy, Environmental & Chemical Engineering at Washington University in St. Louis (WashU), affiliated with the McKelvey School of Engineering. Her lab combines computational and experimental methods to study microbial ecosystems at the interface of built and natural environments.

Education:

• PhD, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (2016)
• MS, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (2011)
• BS, Tsinghua University (2008)

Research Focus: Investigates bacterial community dynamics in water systems, biofuel production microbiology, and hospital infection prevention. Utilizes genomics, machine learning, and theoretical models to understand microbial biodiversity and ecosystem resilience. Current projects include:

• Tap water biofilm dynamics
• Microbiome-based environmental sensing
• AI applications in wastewater epidemiology

Awards: Notable recognitions include NSF CAREER Award (2021), ISME/IWA Rising Star (2020), and Powe Award (2019). She serves on editorial boards for Water Research and ISME Communications.

Affiliations: Cross-appointed in Biomedical Engineering, Computer Science, and affiliated with CASE, Living Earth Collaborative, and Institute of Clinical and Translational Sciences.