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We focus on changing environment, water and health . Water contaminated with feces and chemical pollutants impacts public health. Recreational waters, oyster/shellfish farms, beaches, and drinking waters may be compromised by faulty sewage systems, dysfunctional septic tanks, agricultural runoff, and wildlife. We are trying to find better ways to determine the source(s) of contamination and develop rapid detection methods for emerging contaminants. We employ state of the science next-generation sequencing techniques to address emerging water quality issues including opportunistic premise plumbing pathogens, enteric viruses, fecal pollution, antibiotic resistance genes, harmful algal blooms, heavy metals degrading bacteria . 

International work 

Currently,  we are investigating the effectiveness of Rotavirus vaccine in Nepal, burden of Enteric fever and cholera, environmental surveillance for polio viruses, salmonella and Antimicrobial Resistance genes and SARSCoV-2.

Contact: Samendra Sherchan, PhD, REHS 

 Phone: (443) 885-2374