Archana Anand

I'm an environmental microbiologist and health engineer with a broad interest in pathogens and urban water to protect human and ecosystem health. I am passionate about studying microbes that sustain life on Earth, understanding climate change impacts and educating students through applied research. I also tweet and this is my science story!

In the Anand lab, our fundamental work focuses on two broad themes. Firstly, environmental health in developed coastal cities with sandy beaches, kelp, seagrass beds, coral communities, and mangroves. Secondly, we are fascinated by wastewater. We work with effluent to demystify nutrient cycling in the ocean and influent for infectious disease epidemiology to protect human health (we look at pathogens like SARS-CoV-2, Monkeypox, Influenza A).

Our applied work focuses on climate change and community building. To this end, we work on the microbial communities in varying ecosystems and their responses to environmental factors that are drivers of climate change. Specific areas of interest are microbes in beaches and how they are affected by shoreline changes, wastewater discharge impacts on benthic communities, carbon sequestration capacities of sediments and associated microbial communities. We are especially interested in engaging with communities to answer some of our research questions! We are excited to work with indigenous communities concerning urban water use, fishing communities concerning fish health and citizens in restoration projects in addition to several other evolving topics.

If you have any questions or would like to discuss an idea for a project, do write to me!