Dr. Martin Kuhlwilm is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Evolutionary Anthropology at the Faculty of Life Sciences. His research focuses on population genetics, ancient DNA analysis, and primate genomics. He explores topics such as genetic diversity in great apes, ancient pathogen evolution, and the application of deep learning to population genetic inference. His work contributes to understanding human ancestry, infectious disease history, and conservation genetics. Key research interests include genomic substructure in bonobos, introgression detection in ancient populations, and viral genome analysis from museum specimens. He has published on methodologies like the SAI Python package for adaptive introgression studies and co-authored reviews on deep learning applications in population genetics. Collaborations span institutions globally, with activities including symposia on ancient genomics and presentations on ghost admixture detection. His recent work emphasizes enhancing sampling strategies for ancient pathogen DNA (e.g., Plasmodium studies) and curating genomic resources for great apes. While no specific awards are listed, his publications highlight impactful contributions to evolutionary biology and genetics.
Liang Zhao is a Researcher in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) at Michigan State University’s College of Engineering. His work focuses on environmental surveillance systems for public health, leveraging wastewater analysis to track infectious diseases such as norovirus, SARS-CoV-2, and sexually transmitted infections. He collaborates with academia, industry, and government to develop early warning systems for outbreaks in the Detroit metro area, emphasizing data integration from wastewater, clinical metrics, and online sources. Zhao’s research also extends to nanotechnology applications in soil remediation, addressing contaminants like Lindane and optimizing photocatalytic materials for wastewater treatment. Key research themes include optimizing molecular assays for viral detection, analyzing time lags between wastewater data and clinical outcomes, and developing ranking systems for prioritizing communicable disease testing. His contributions span 21 months of continuous wastewater surveillance during the pandemic, yielding methods for predicting surges and informing public health responses. Zhao’s interdisciplinary approach integrates environmental engineering, epidemiology, and nanotechnology to address both emerging pathogens and persistent environmental pollutants. No scientific awards are explicitly listed in the provided text. His work is centered in the College of Engineering, with a focus on real-world applications in community health and environmental sustainability. Zhao’s projects highlight the utility of wastewater as a sentinel for public health trends, bridging laboratory research with actionable community strategies.
Dr. José Miguel Ponciano is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biology at the University of Florida, affiliated with the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. His research bridges stochastic processes with biological questions across ecology, evolution, and microbiology. Research interests include statistical ecology, population dynamics, phylogenetics, and evidential statistics. Current projects focus on modeling antibiotic resistance evolution, predicting anthrax transmission, and analyzing Amazonian bird communities using stochastic frameworks. Develops stochastic models for ecological and evolutionary dynamics Collaborates on NIH/NSF-funded studies in microbiome ecology and biodiversity Teaches courses like Statistical Principles for the Biological Sciences His lab trains interdisciplinary students (mathematicians learning biology and vice versa). Recent publications span microbial community stability, environmental noise impacts, and statistical innovations. Advising : Co-chaired 15+ PhD/Master’s committees (2012-2020) Mentored students on topics including bird community dynamics and anthrax modeling Labs/Teams : Co-directed NIH project on vaginal microbiome dynamics Collaborates with UF’s Arctic ecology team on moss-microbiome interactions Team lead in Manu National Park bird community studies
Nicola Mueller, PhD, is an Assistant Professor at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). Her research focuses on quantifying transmission dynamics of bacterial and viral infectious diseases using pathogen genome sequence data to inform public health interventions. Methodologically, she employs phylodynamic approaches to integrate pathogen genomics with epidemiological and spatial data. Education: PhD in Epidemiology and Phylodynamics from ETH Zürich (2019), MSc in Biotechnology (Systems Biology major) from ETH Zürich (2016), and BSc in Biotechnology from ETH Zürich (2015). Research interests include developing multi-source data integration methods for phylodynamics, with applications to SARS-CoV-2, influenza, and bacterial pathogens. Her work emphasizes understanding community-level transmission patterns, zoonotic spillover risks, and the impact of antimicrobial resistance on public health. Notable contributions include studies on SARS-CoV-2 spread in metropolitan areas, mpox epidemic dynamics, and antibiotic-resistant E. coli transmission between humans and canines. Her computational tools, such as MASCOT-Skyline, advance phylogeographic and migration modeling. Her research has implications for improving surveillance and intervention strategies in infectious disease outbreaks, leveraging cutting-edge genomic and statistical methods.
Dr. Ynes Rosa Ortega serves as Associate Professor at the Center for Food Safety within the University of Georgia's College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. Her research program focuses on parasitology, specifically the detection of human and animal pathogenic parasites in food, biological, and environmental samples, with particular emphasis on coccidian parasites including Cryptosporidium parvum and Cyclospora cayetanensis . Her research interests encompass pathogenesis mechanisms of foodborne parasites, development of parasite inactivation methods in food products, and molecular characterization of protozoan pathogens. Dr. Ortega has made seminal contributions including the discovery of Cyclospora cayetanensis as a human pathogen and development of monoclonal antibodies for Entamoeba histolytica and Trichomonas vaginalis . Her work bridges laboratory investigation with practical food safety applications. Analysis of her 15 most recent publications (2014-2023) reveals consistent focus on molecular epidemiology of foodborne parasites, particularly Cryptosporidium and Cyclospora species. Her research spans parasite detection methodologies, genetic characterization, transmission dynamics, and intervention strategies across diverse settings including agricultural environments, food processing systems, and international contexts. Key themes include globalization impacts on parasite distribution, zoonotic transmission pathways, and practical decontamination approaches for fresh produce. Dr. Ortega leads the Parasitology Research Group at the Center for Food Safety, directing investigations into parasite survival mechanisms, diagnostic development, and food safety interventions. Her laboratory maintains active collaborations with international research teams and public health agencies to address emerging foodborne parasite threats through integrated molecular and applied approaches.
Yuke Wang is an Assistant Research Professor in the Hubert Department of Global Health at Emory University. Their research focuses on understanding human-environment interfaces in infectious diseases through statistical/mathematical modeling, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Key projects include the Shedding Hub (pathogen shedding data/statistical models) and Sentinel Wastewater Surveillance (human behavior/water monitoring). Education: PhD (Georgia State University), MSPH (Emory University), Bachelor (South China U. of Technology). Research Interests: Wastewater-based epidemiology, pathogen transmission dynamics, biostatistical modeling, and infectious disease prevention. Current work emphasizes quantitative tools for public health decision-making, including open-source frameworks deployed globally. Publications Trends: Recent work focuses on SARS-CoV-2 surveillance (wastewater monitoring in universities/jails), norovirus dose-response studies, and Vibrio cholerae exposure pathways. Methodologically, emphasizes Bayesian analysis and environmental surveillance system cost-effectiveness. Funding: NIH, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Wellcome Trust, and Rockefeller Foundation grants support cross-disciplinary projects. Strong partnerships with LMIC institutions. Labs/Teams: Leads Shedding Hub initiative and collaborates on global wastewater surveillance networks. Active in team science for complex public health challenges.
Marlene Wolfe is an Assistant Professor in the Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health at Emory University's Rollins School of Public Health . As an environmental microbiologist, engineer, and epidemiologist, her work focuses on using environmental pathogen detection for population health surveillance and evaluating interventions to reduce pathogenic exposures in low-resource/emergency settings. BA, Stanford University MSc, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine PhD, Tufts University Her research interests span environmental microbiology, infectious disease surveillance, WASH interventions, and public health analytics. The Wolfe Lab develops mixed-methods approaches to validate laboratory findings in real-world contexts, particularly for respiratory and enteric pathogens. Recent article trends show specialization in wastewater-based epidemiology for SARS-CoV-2 variants, norovirus, RSV, dengue, and other pathogens. Methodologies include RNA quantification, variant tracking, and cross-referencing wastewater data with clinical prevalence patterns. Contact: marlene.wolfe@emory.edu | Wolfe Lab
Menno van der Voort is a Project Manager at Wageningen University & Research , affiliated with the Team Bacteriology, Molecular Biology & AMR . His work focuses on Listeria monocytogenes , Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli , and antimicrobial resistance (AMR), leveraging whole genome sequencing (WGS) for foodborne disease surveillance and source attribution. Research Interests: Menno specializes in bacterial genomics, food safety, and One Health approaches. His studies address pathogen detection in food systems (e.g., Listeria , Salmonella ), molecular typing for outbreak tracking, and risks in circular food production involving municipal sludge and industrial biomass. He has contributed to understanding stress response mechanisms in Bacillus cereus and Pseudomonas fluorescens . Scientific Trends: Recent publications highlight WGS integration for cross-sectoral surveillance of foodborne pathogens, chemical/microbial hazards in circular systems, and molecular characterization of Listeria and E. coli strains. His work bridges genomics, food safety, and environmental risk assessment. Advising & Collaborations: Menno serves as co-promotor for PhD projects (e.g., Cheng, X.) and collaborates with institutions like the Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW). He has presented on topics such as E. coli subtyping and spices’ impact on pathogen detection.
Volodymyr Minin is a Professor in the Department of Statistics at the University of California, Irvine, where he also serves as Associate Director of the Infectious Disease Initiative and Honors Program Director for the School of Information & Computer Sciences. Additionally, he is Co-Director of the Irvine Summer Institute in Biostatistics and Undergraduate Data Science (ISI-BUDS), which recently welcomed its fourth cohort of 16 undergraduate students from across the country. Professor Minin leads an active research group focused on developing and applying statistical methods for infectious disease modeling, phylogenetics, and population dynamics. His group holds weekly journal club meetings on Fridays where members present and discuss recent research papers related to stochastic and statistical modeling approaches in epidemiology and evolutionary biology. His research interests span Biostatistics , Infectious Disease Modeling , Phylogenetics , Bayesian Statistics , Population Dynamics , Epidemiological Modeling , and Stochastic Processes . Minin's recent publications demonstrate a strong methodological focus with practical public health applications, particularly in infectious disease dynamics. His work integrates multiple data sources including genetic sequences, case reports, and wastewater surveillance to improve epidemiological inference. Key themes include addressing reporting delays in real-time analyses, developing more accurate methods for estimating the effective reproduction number, and investigating transmission dynamics of pathogens like SARS-CoV-2 and tuberculosis. Professor Minin has mentored numerous students through their academic careers, including Catalina Medina who recently defended her dissertation and is starting as an Assistant Professor at CSU Channel Islands, and students like Jessalyn Sebastian and Christian Bernal Zelaya who have received recognition at conferences like WNAR 2025 where Christian won the best student oral presentation award. His former students include Andy Magee, Jon Fintzi, Michael Karcher, Jason Xu, Jane Lange, Peter Chi, Julia Palacios, and Soyoung Ryu. His research group actively collaborates with public health organizations and participates in initiatives like the Infectious Disease Initiative at UCI. The group maintains an active GitHub presence with repositories documenting their journal club activities and sharing resources for stochastic and statistical modeling. The group's work has important implications for understanding and controlling infectious disease outbreaks through advanced statistical modeling approaches.
Prof. Dr. Ullrich Köthe is an Associate Professor and group leader in the Visual Learning Lab Heidelberg at the University of Heidelberg . He focuses on Explainable Machine Learning , leveraging Invertible Neural Networks to enhance transparency and utility in image analysis and medical applications . He also maintains the widely used VIGRA image analysis library. Education: PhD in Informatics, University of Hamburg, 2000 Habilitation in Informatics, University of Hamburg, 2008 His research interests center around machine learning , image analysis , and scientific computing , particularly the development of robust algorithms for medical imaging , computer vision , and life sciences . His work on invertible neural networks and parameter-free segmentation has led to significant advancements in the field. Recent publications highlight his contributions to Bayesian inference , neural network interpretability , and stochastic modeling , with applications ranging from disease outbreak dynamics to connectomics . Key trends include generative models , parameter-free segmentation , and likelihood-free inference . Scientific Awards: DAGM 2003 Main Prize DAGM Best Paper Award 2008 He has supervised numerous Master and Bachelor theses in machine learning and image analysis , with teaching roles in Advanced Machine Learning and Explainable AI . His collaborative research grants include funding from HARMAN International (2024). He leads the Explainable Machine Learning subgroup and has contributed to open-source software projects like ilastik and VIGRA , which are critical tools in bioimage analysis .
Isaac Amoah is a Global Professor at the Durban University of Technology , affiliated with the School of Environmental Quality, Justice & Health and the Department of Water Quality, Security & Sustainability . His expertise spans environmental microbiology, water quality, and wastewater-based epidemiology. He holds a B.Sc. in Biological Sciences from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (Ghana), an M. Phil in Parasitology from the same institution, and a Ph.D. in Environmental Health from Durban University of Technology. Dr. Amoah’s research focuses on water quality security, microbial ecology, antibiotic resistance, and emerging pollutants , with a strong emphasis on public health implications. His work addresses critical issues such as wastewater-based surveillance of infectious diseases (e.g., tuberculosis, SARS-CoV-2), microplastic interactions in aquatic ecosystems, and sustainable wastewater reuse practices. He has pioneered methods for detecting pathogens and drug residues in environmental samples, contributing to early warning systems for disease outbreaks. His recent articles highlight trends in climate-driven watershed dynamics, microplastic transport modeling, and biofilm formation on microplastics . Notably, his work on wastewater-based epidemiology has been instrumental in tracking pandemic trends and antibiotic resistance patterns globally. Dr. Amoah advocates for interdisciplinary approaches to address environmental and health challenges, emphasizing the need for policy integration in resource management and pollution control. While no scientific awards are explicitly listed, his contributions to environmental health and infectious disease surveillance are widely recognized in academic circles. His research extends to community-level interventions, such as risk assessments for shared sanitation in informal settlements and agricultural reuse of wastewater in Ghana and South Africa. Dr. Amoah collaborates with global teams to advance molecular diagnostics and ecological treatment methods. His lab focuses on microbial risk assessment, nanomaterial applications for pollution mitigation, and sustainable water resource management strategies.
Sumiko Mekaru, PhD, DVM, MLS, MPVM is an Instructor in the Department of Public Health and Community Medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine. Her work focuses on digital epidemiology, infectious disease surveillance, and One Health approaches. She holds appointments at Tufts since September 2021, teaching courses like 'Research Skills II - Surveill' from 2021 to 2023. Mekaru's expertise spans public health informatics, outbreak prediction, and leveraging non-traditional data sources for disease monitoring. Her research integrates social media, internet-based news, and geospatial data to enhance global outbreak detection and response. Notable contributions include work on the HealthMap system, vaccine compliance studies, and forecasting rare disease outbreaks. She has published extensively on topics such as pandemic preparedness, zoonotic disease transmission, and digital tools for public health surveillance. Mekaru’s academic background combines veterinary medicine, public health, and library science, enabling multidisciplinary approaches to global health challenges. She has collaborated on initiatives like the MedWatcher system and participatory epidemiology projects in low-resource settings.
Dr. Tristan Nolan is a Research Fellow in Water Microbiology at the School of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), since 2023. He holds a PhD in Infection Biology and focuses on Environmental Microbiology, Microbial Source Tracking, and Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring. His work addresses water quality surveillance, wastewater-based epidemiology, and microbial contamination in aquatic systems. Education: PhD in Infection Biology Research Interests: Nolan’s research explores the intersection of environmental microbiology and public health, particularly in tracking microbial sources in water systems. His work integrates bacteriophage analysis, resistome dynamics, and wastewater surveillance to inform pollution mitigation strategies. Key areas include antibiotic resistance monitoring in rivers and urban streams, as well as applications of microbial markers in epidemiological studies. Publications: Nolan has contributed to over 15 peer-reviewed articles since 2020, focusing on wastewater-based surveillance, antimicrobial resistance, and microbial contamination in aquatic environments. His recent work includes studies on bacteriophage reservoirs, SARS-CoV-2 tracking via wastewater, and land-use impacts on resistome profiles. Awards: Environmental Science Association of Ireland Award (2020) American Society for Microbiology Young Ambassador to Ireland (2018–2022) Supervision: Currently accepting research students for Honours, Masters, and PhD studies in environmental microbiology, wastewater surveillance, and antimicrobial resistance.
Juan Miguel Fregeneda Grandes serves as a Professor within the Department of Animal Health at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of León, Spain. His academic career spans over 25 years with continuous research output focused on aquatic animal pathology, particularly within freshwater aquaculture systems. He maintains active affiliation with the ACUIPAT research group (Continental Aquaculture and Ichthyopathology), which drives collaborative investigations into fish disease etiology and control. His doctoral training was completed at the University of León in 1998 under the supervision of Dr. José Miguel Aller Gancedo and Dr. Máximo Fernández Díez. The dissertation, Presence of "Saprolegnia" in the water of the Luna River (León), ultrastructural characteristics and experimental pathogenicity for rainbow trout ("Oncorhynchus mykiss") of potentially pathogenic strains , established his foundational expertise in water mold pathogenesis. Research interests center on ichthyopathology and aquaculture disease management , with specialized focus on: Saprolegniasis epidemiology and control in salmonids Probiotic interventions using bacterial antagonists (e.g., Pseudomonas fluorescens ) Antimicrobial resistance patterns in aquaculture environments Veterinary dermatology applications for canine otitis Viral pathogen genomics (including SARS-CoV-2 surveillance) This interdisciplinary approach bridges fundamental microbiology with practical aquaculture solutions while extending into companion animal medicine and pandemic response. Analysis of recent publications (2020-2023) reveals three converging trajectories: (1) Refinement of Saprolegnia control through probiotic mechanisms and essential oils, (2) Clinical evaluation of otitis treatments in canine patients, and (3) Significant contributions to SARS-CoV-2 genomic epidemiology in Spain. The consistent focus on saprolegniasis across 25+ years demonstrates deep domain expertise, while pandemic-related work highlights methodological adaptability in viral genomics. No formal scientific awards or fellowships were documented in source materials. While specific student mentorship records weren't provided, his extensive publication history (40+ papers) and leadership in the ACUIPAT research group imply substantial advisory activity. Collaborative networks span Spanish regional veterinary services, Mexican aquaculture facilities, and European genomic consortia, suggesting involvement in multiple funded projects addressing aquatic disease challenges. Fregeneda Grandes leads critical laboratory and field operations within the ACUIPAT research group, focusing on pathogen characterization, epidemiological surveillance, and biosecurity protocol development for freshwater aquaculture. The team maintains active partnerships with Castile and León regional fisheries agencies and international research networks to address emerging disease threats in sustainable aquaculture systems.
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.
