I earned my Ph.D. in Marine Biology and Water Quality Microbiology in Dr. Joan Rose’s lab in 2003 and then joined Dr. Harwood’s lab as a post-doctoral fellow.  My studies ranged from microbial source tracking to decay of indicator organisms in subtropical environments while with Dr. Harwood.  I then joined the Center for Biological Defense in 2005 where I developed assays and sample preparation methods for rapid detection of fecal indicators and pathogens, including the co-invention of an automated, large volume ultrafiltration device. I joined UES, Inc. in Dayton, OH, in 2013 as the Research Program Manager of the Biological and Nanoscale Technologies Division. My work here includes managing a $46.2M research program called Molecular Signatures, which supports the Human Performance Wing and the School of Aerospace Medicine at the Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright Patterson Air Force Base. The focus of Molecular Signatures is to discover, characterize, detect and analyze complex molecular patterns from humans and the environment to protect the Warfighter and improve human performance.  I am also the Primary Investigator of two efforts: 1) a project to characterize levels of human performance biomarkers in various body fluids and develop tools for rapid detection of these biomarkers and 2) an effort to develop tools for real-time assessment of sweat secretion dynamics and validation of sweat secretion patterns as a measure of human performance. Lastly, I am still very much interested in water quality issues, and I am thrilled to be a member of the UES Bio-Lab team. We are currently alpha-testing our new biosensor technology for rapid, field detection of E. coli in recreational waters in collaboration with the Ohio EPA.