My interest is in environmental public health microbiology, a unique expertise integrating knowledge of environmental exposures and their impact on public health. My interest in this field commenced in my  undergraduate training, where I received degrees in both Environmental Science and Microbiology. In my PhD  training, I was able to further integrate my interests in microbiology and environmental studies, studying the molecular epidemiology of Giardia lamblia in Canadian water supplies. This work focused on risk assessment of  Giardia lamblia subtypes, with impacts on both environmental and clinical practices. I strongly feel there is a strong need to incorporate environmental health into public healthpractice, as environmental factors can strongly
influence overall health of the population.

Currently,  my work focuses on the transmission of gastrointestinal pathogens through environmental matrices, primarily via food and water. I am interested in the development and implementation of molecular methods for routine surveillance, outbreak investigations and source attribution. This work includes the use of improved molecular subtyping approaches, as a critical step in outbreak investigation, to link clinical and environmental isolates.

One of my largest accomplishments was the validation and implementation of a novel Campylobacter subtyping method, developed by partners at the Public Health Agency of Canada, for routine use at BCCDC Public Health Microbiology and Reference Laboratory. This assay will greatly assist in Campylobacter monitoring initiatives, as Campylobacter is the most prevalent cause of bacterial gastroenteritis in BC and little is known about its reservoirs in BC. We are the first provincial laboratory to implement this new assay, with more labs to follow in 2012-2013.

Of great significance is Watershed Microbiome project (see below), a large-scale research project that aims to discover novel water quality markers and microbial source tracking markers. I led the grant application submission and now serve as scientific manager. This cutting edge work is on of only a handful of freshwater metagenomics projects worldwide and has received considerable attention in the scientific and stakeholder communities.

Through my role as EWQA coordinator, I provide leadership within BCCDC PHMRL and to laboratories throughout the province in Quality Management. Involvement in EWQA and cutting edge research has allowed me to look forward to changes that may impact routine water quality monitoring as new technologies emerge.