Students

Autumn Downey, PhD candidate, focuses her research on waterborne transmission of the parasite Cryptosporidium parvum and foodborne Cryptosporidium infections vectored by oysters commercially harvested from the Chesapeake Bay. The research involves identification of Cryptosporidium species and genotypes, and revealing the sources of Bay contamination as related to surface runoff from agriculture, wastewater discharges and wildlife.

Cynthia McOliver, PhD candidate, focuses her research on C. parvum contamination of water reservoirs within the Baltimore metropolitan area, and characterization of environmental exposure to Cryptosporidium of HIV-infected population via urban fishing and other water-related activities. She also investigates transmission of Cryptosporidium via seafood (i.e., blue crabs)
commercially harvested from the Chesapeake Bay.

Sharon Nappier, PhD candidate, is evaluating the public health impacts of non-native oyster species being considered for introduction into the Chesapeake Bay. She is also working to assess how implementing low technology irrigation systems in South Africa's KwaZulu-Natal province  can improve the nutrition and health status of children in targeted communities. In addition, she has developed protocols to improve detection of noroviruses in peri-urban sites surrounding Lima, Peru.

Yayi (Stephanie) Guo, PhD candidate, is working to reduce the burden of contaminated waters on morbidity and mortality due to diarrheal and other diseases by investigating water treatment methods used to detect and eliminate pollutants from potable waters. She is especially interested in studying the efficacy of purification systems in removing contaminants from waters polluted by human waste and agricultural operations. The appropriate selection and use of such systems to treat source waters prior to ingestion can potentially alleviate much of the microbial, and potentially also the chemical load in the waters, thereby improving drinking water quality and reducing the risk of illnesses. 

Kristen Gibson, PhD candidate, is developing methods to isolate bacteria, viruses and protozoa simultaneously from large volumes of water. Subsequent to isolation, she is evaluating microbial molecular detection techniques, including quantitative polymerase chain reaction and mass spectrometry, for the enumeration of isolated microbes.