About Me

I am a PhD student in Tim Julian's group. My main research interest is to develop quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA) frameworks for respiratory pathogens such as Legionella.

To inform guidance on recommended maximum concentrations of Legionella spp. in drinking water system (showers), model based risk assessment approaches are urgently needed. Quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA) provides a framework for evaluating the impacts of water quality on human health.

Current QMRA frameworks on Legionella mainly use partition coefficient and volumetric estimation approaches for exposure assessment. The dose-response relationship follows a exponential function and usually regards infection as the disease endpoint. My work is to improve existing QMRA frameworks by 1) incorporating better estimation of aerosol generation into exposure assessment approaches 2) adjusting parameter value in dose-response model considering variations in Legionella spp. infectivity 3) using different disease endpoint (illness) to account for susceptibility to the attack among different demographic groups.   

Projects

Inhalation of legionella bacteria – which thrive in warm water – can cause illness: in a new project, an Eawag-led multidisciplinary research team is investigating how the risks associated with these bacteria can best be managed.

Legionella control efforts intensified in Switzerland – “LeCo” project

Curriculum Vitae