Elisabeth Burnor

I've loved biology since I was about 5, and majored in biology in college. After college, I did an internship at an environmental consulting firm and worked for two and a half years in a translational medicine research lab. I could never decide which I loved more: the environmental side or the biomedical side. When I first learned that there is a discipline within public health called environmental health sciences, I was hooked. An area of study where I could combine both interests? It was a no-brainer.

My research is focused on developing a method to detect the bacteria that cause Typhoid Fever (Salmonella typhi) in the environment. Our goal is to adapt a method that was originally developed for poliovirus surveillance and use it to sample wastewater for Salmonella typhi.

Our department has faculty doing amazing work in such a wide range of disciplines - microbiology, sustainability, disaster preparedness, agricultural health and safety, occupational health, toxicology, and many, many more. I love having the opportunity to learn from researchers with such a diverse range of expertise. Students with many different interests are able to find a home here.

After I graduate, I'd like to work in a research lab that is doing environmental health or infectious disease research or for a non-profit focused on sustainability and public health.