PreMiEr Seminar Series: Dr. Nicole Rockey

PreMiEr-sponsored seminar hosted by Duke University.

Speaker: Nicole Rockey, Assistant Professor, Pratt School of Engineering

Virus persistence and treatment – implications for infectious disease transmission in the built environment

Infectious diseases from emerging and endemic pathogens continue to cause significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. Recent global changes, including urbanization, climate change, and population growth, have altered the infectious disease landscape. These changes increase disease spread and risk of viral emergence. My research seeks to better understand risks from viral pathogens and identify effective strategies to limit their spread in the built environment. In this talk, I will discuss work investigating alternative molecular and predictive modeling approaches for estimating virus fate through disinfection and developing virus monitoring strategies in water treatment settings. I will also highlight research employing animal models to assess influenza virus transmission and controlled bench-scale approaches to study the persistence and spread of respiratory viruses. This work ultimately assesses the impact of engineering interventions (e.g., ventilation) on influenza virus transmission in close-contact scenarios. Overarching aims of our work are focused on establishing transmission risks in the built environment and informing engineering interventions that will aid in building robust, sustainable responses to microbial threats.

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