Natalie Prystajecky

Natalie Prystajecky is the Program Head for the Environmental Microbiology program at the British Columbia Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC) Public Health Laboratory and holds a clinical associate professor appointment in the Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine at the University of British Columbia (UBC). Her work bridges environmental exposures and clinical outcomes.

• BSc in Cellular, Molecular and Microbiology (CMMB), University of Calgary (2003)
• BSc in Environmental Science – Biology Focus, University of Calgary (2003)
• Certificate in Watershed Management, UBC (2008)
• PhD, UBC (2010)

Her research focuses on improving public health surveillance and outbreak investigations for foodborne and waterborne pathogens using cutting-edge technologies like whole-genome sequencing and metagenomics. She also studies avian influenza emergence in wetland sediments.

• Institute of Infection and Immunity (CIHR-III) Doctoral Research Award
• Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research (MSFHR) Senior Trainee Top-Up Award
• UBC PhD Tuition Award

Prystajecky actively promotes the translation of research methodologies into routine diagnostic laboratory testing, contributing to advancements in environmental microbiology and clinical diagnostics.