Jill Stewart

Jill Stewart is a Professor and Director at the Belle W. Baruch Institute for Marine and Coastal Sciences, University of South Carolina. She leads research in environmental microbiology, water quality, and public health, with a focus on antimicrobial resistance, wastewater epidemiology, and One Health approaches. Her work bridges environmental science, clinical research, and policy to address global challenges in waterborne diseases and ecological sustainability.

Her research spans topics like bacteriophage therapy for cystic fibrosis, microbial source tracking in contaminated environments, and antibiotic resistance in agricultural and urban settings. She has conducted studies in diverse locations including Mozambique, North Carolina, and the Galápagos Islands, emphasizing community-based interventions and global health equity.

Key areas of exploration include:

• Wastewater-based epidemiology for disease surveillance
• Environmental drivers of antimicrobial resistance
• Impact of sanitation infrastructure on child health
• Ecological resilience in island ecosystems

Dr. Stewart's interdisciplinary projects often involve collaborations with public health agencies, environmental engineers, and policymakers to translate scientific findings into actionable strategies. She has pioneered methods for rapid detection of pathogens in water and developed frameworks for integrating microbial data into public health decision-making.

Her work in the Galápagos focuses on sustainable water management and climate adaptation, while her studies in industrial hog operations reveal links between livestock practices and antibiotic-resistant pathogens in communities. She advocates for evidence-based solutions to water insecurity and environmental justice issues.