Education

• Ph.D., Environmental Health, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, 1998
• B.S., Health Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 1990

Research Interests

The major research focus of my laboratory is to investigate the connections between environmental processes and human health.  Urban coastal areas are greatly impacted by pollution sources including stormwater runoff and sewage overflows.  Often times, pathogens are present that can contaminate our beaches and drinking water supplies.  The overall goal of our research is understand pathogen fate in large freshwater systems such as the Great Lakes, and develop new approaches for assessing pollution sources so that strategies can be devised to protect the Great Lakes and human health.

Beach closings

Beaches can be impacted by both regional and localized sources of pollution.  Our research has found that many beach closing are caused by pollution sources local to the beach, including roosting gulls and stormwater discharges.  In addition, sand can act as a reservoir for E. coli, an indicator of fecal pollution.  Current projects in the laboratory are employing DNA based methods to determine the source of pollution at beaches.  We are also working closely with beach managers to improve coastal management strategies to improve the beach ecosystem.  Learn more about these projects under research projects.

Urban Stormwater Impacts 

Urban coastal regions are greatly impacted by human activity, with stormwater discharges as one of the leading cause of water quality impairments in the Great Lakes.  Research in our laboratory has shown that stormwater carries high levels of fecal indicator bacteria.  We are employing genetic markers of fecal bacteria such as Bacteroides spp. to determine the relative contributions of non-point runoff and sanitary sewage infiltration to bacterial levels in stormwater.  Learn more under research projects.

Oceans and Human Health

Waterborne disease is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide.  There is little understanding of the population genetics and ecology of these organisms as they move through environmental reservoirs, particularly in large freshwater systems, such as the Great Lakes.  Sewage overflows and stormwater runoff introduce pathogens into surface waters and may ultimately impact beaches and nearshore waters.  Learn more under research projects.

Climate Change Impacts in the Great Lakes