Irene Xagoraraki, Ph.D.
Professor of Environmental Engineering
Welcome to Environmental Virology Laboratory where we love working on water quality and public health issues. We study the fate of pathogens in the built environment and in natural systems. Since 2017, our research focuses on environmental surveillance approaches for prediction of viral outbreaks.
 
Irene
Irene Xagoraraki, PhD
Professor of Environmental Engineering
William J. Beal Outstanding Faculty
Yabing Li, PhD, Postdoctoral researcher (Website)
Heidy Peidro, PhD, Postdoctoral researcher
Pankaj Bhatt, PhD, Postdoctoral researcher
Brijen
Brijen Miyani, PhD candidate
Liang
Liang Zhao, PhD candidate (Website)
Xijiao Wang, MS candidate
Sydney Jacobi, Undergraduate research assistant
Reegan Kelly, Undergraduate research assistant
Lake Van Natter, Undergraduate research assistant
Former Postdocs:
Yangyang Zou, PostDoc 2023
Research Topic: Surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 in Detroit Wastewater
Current Position: Environmental Engineer, Hawaii  
Arun Kumar, PostDoc 2010 (Website)
Research Topic: Risk Assessment of Pharmaceuticals in Water
Current Position: Professor, Indian Institute of Technology, New Dehil, India
Hsion-Wen David Kuo, PostDoc 2008 (Website)
Research Topic: Fate of Viruses in the Environment
Current Position: Associate Professor, Tunghai University, Taiwan 
PhD Graduates:
CamilleMcCall
Camille McCall, PhD 2020
Dissertation: Viral Genomics of Identification of Signals of Disease in Environmental Samples
Current Position: Postdoctoral Researcher, Rice University  
HuiyunWu
Huiyun Wu, PhD 2019
Dissertation: Microbes in Water: Methods to Evaluate Sources, Temporal Variability, and Potential Disease Signals
Current Position: Postdoctoral Researcher, Tulane University
Evan O'Brien
Evan O’Brien, PhD 2018
Dissertation: Viruses in Water and Wastewater and their Significance to Public Health
Current Position: Postdoctoral Researcher, University of Illinois at Chicago
AmiraOun
Amira Oun, PhD 2016
Dissertation: Microbial Pollution Source Identification in Rural/Urban Mixed Watersheds
Current Position: Assistant Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Tripoli, Libya
Ziqiang Yin
Ziqiang Yin, PhD 2015 (Website)
Dissertation: Human Adenovirus Removal in Wastewater Treatment and Membrane Process
Current Position: Research Professor, Chengdu University of Technology, China
MariyaMunir
Mariya Munir, PhD 2014 (Website)
Dissertation: Metagenomic Insights into Microbial Diversity and Resistance to Antibiotics in Wastewater Treatment Plants
Current Position: Associate Professor, University of North Carolina at Charlotte
KelvinWong
Kelvin Wong, PhD 2010
Dissertation: Detection and Fate of Adenovirus in the Environment
Current Position: Genomics Epidemiologist, California Department of Public Health
Pin Gao
Pin Gao, PhD 2011 (degree awarded in China) (Website)
Dissertation: Antibiotic Resistance Genes in Wastewater Utilities
Current Position: Professor, Donghua University, China
MS Graduates:
Zachary Gentry, MS 2023
Thesis: A Ranking System for Communicable Disease Testing in Tri-County Detroit Area
Current Position: Environmental Engineer, Michigan
Maddie Spooner, MS 2023
Project: Wastewater Surveillance Using Molecular Methods
Current Position: Environmental Engineer, Michigan
Joyce Nakyazze, MS 2017
Thesis: Abundance of Viruses in Waters in Southwest Kampala, Uganda
Current Position: Environmental Engineer, Los Angeles
Brandon Onan, MS 2013
Project: Viral Infectivity in Environmental Samples
Current Position: Engineer at the State of Michigan EGLE
Fred Simmons, MS 2010
Thesis: Fate of Enteric Viruses in Advanced and Conventional Wastewater Treatment
Current Position: Senior Water Engineer at Arcadis US
Rebecca Hullman Runkel, MS 2009
Thesis: Fate of Pharmaceuticals in Drinking Water Utilities
Current Position: Project Engineer at City of Novi, Michigan

Zhassulan Zvambayev, MS 2013
Thesis: Human Adenovirus Removal by Hollow Fiber Membranes: Effect of Feed Water Composition
Current Position: Environmental Engineer, Kazakhstan

Biao Chang, MS 2009
Thesis: Pharmaceuticals in Water: Oxidation Processes and Human Health Impacts
Current Position: Engineering Manager, Applied Machine Learning at Etsy