Isaac Dennis Amoah is Assistant Professor of Global Health in the Division of Natural and Applied Sciences at Duke Kunshan University (DKU) and holds a secondary appointment as Assistant Professor of the Practice in Interdisciplinary Studies (DKU Unit) at Duke University.

Research and TERRA Lab

His research combines environmental microbiology, genomics and epidemiology to understand how water and sanitation shape infectious disease risks. He uses wastewater and environmental surveillance to track tuberculosis, SARS-CoV-2 and antimicrobial resistance, and quantitative microbial risk assessment to estimate infection risks from environmental exposures.

At DKU, he is building TERRA Lab to study microbial risks in the built environment, trace pollution in rivers and lakes, and develop tools to forecast disease risk. A planned research direction asks how residents and sanitation workers can help design surveillance in communities that rely on shared toilets, septic tanks or pit latrines.

Research in practice

He was a founding member of South Africa’s COVID-19 wastewater surveillance network (SACCESS), whose findings contributed to national health briefings. He helped design a tuberculosis wastewater surveillance framework used by the Clinton Health Access Initiative in a Vietnam pilot and led a Pan-African sewage surveillance project on antimicrobial resistance. His work also contributed to a standard method for detecting helminth eggs in environmental samples and to wastewater reuse safety guidance in Southern Africa.

Teaching and mentoring at DKU

His DKU teaching includes GLOCHALL 201 (Global Challenges in Science, Technology and Health) and BIOL 110. He connects classroom concepts to public health decisions through case studies, simulations and research data. Students interested in Signature Work or summer research can ask about projects in environmental sampling, molecular surveillance, data analysis and risk communication.

Academic background

Before joining DKU, he served as Global Professor at the University of Arizona’s Yangling Microcampus, where he taught environmental microbiology, biology of environmental systems, ecotoxicology and research methods. At Durban University of Technology (DUT), he taught Environmental Law and led water and health research at the Institute for Water and Wastewater Technology, where he is an Honorary Research Associate.

He earned a PhD in Health Sciences (Environmental Health) from DUT and an MPhil in Parasitology and BSc in Biological Sciences from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Ghana. His recognitions include the International Water Association’s Willie Grabow Young Investigator Award, a South African National Research Foundation Y-rating, and DUT awards for research publication.

Google Scholar · ORCID · Microbial Risk Lab, his open-access platform for microbial risk assessment training and tools.