Aiko Adell

Biography

My research encompasses the application of microbiology, statistical analysis, risk analysis, advanced epidemiology, and sustainability within the framework of the One Health approach. This comprehensive model involves simultaneously addressing human, animal, and environmental health issues, requiring multidisciplinary collaboration. Therefore, my research involves collaboration with various experts, including agronomists, human physicians, biologists, biochemists, and sociologists, among others. Within the domain of environmental epidemiology in aquatic environments, my research focuses on three primary areas.

Firstly, in assessing the biological quality of surface water, our goal is to gain insight into the role of water in disseminating pathogens to both food and people. We aim to utilize water as a sentinel of population health. To achieve this, we investigate the spread of zoonotic pathogens and the phenomenon of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) among humans, animals, and the environment. Our studies encompass the examination of their propagation in surface water sources, determination of sources of fecal contamination, identification of associated risk factors, and genomic analysis to assess the persistence of biological contamination over time.

In the second area, our research involves close collaboration with small agricultural producers and the public sector to address concerns related to irrigation water quality. Workshops directed by a sociologists serve as a platform for producers to share insights into their lifestyle, challenges related to irrigation water quality, and resource availability. The ensuing discussions focus on identifying feasible solutions to their problems. Subsequently, my research group and collaborators design and evaluate the effectiveness of low-cost mitigation methods to reduce microorganism loads in irrigation water. This collaborative effort aims to implement sustainable solutions and improve water safety.

The third research area concentrates on wastewater-based epidemiology, aiming to evaluate wastewater as an effective epidemiological tool for early warning systems against public health threats. The objective is to detect selected biomarkers in wastewater and assess their utility as indicators of population health issues. This evaluation involves epidemiological comparisons with population health data and an exploration of the forecasting potential of detecting these biomarkers in wastewater to forecast emerging public health threats using predicting models.