Project title: Assessing the impact of different pollution sources on the type of microplastics, associated microbial communities, antimicrobial resistance, and transport of microplastics in selected urban rivers in South Africa (2022-2024).

Role: Principal Investigator

Funder: South African Water Research Commission

Responsibility:

ï       Drafted the funding proposal.

ï       Coordinated all research activities.

      ï       Supervised graduate students (one doctoral, one master's and one lab assistant) and researchers (1 post-doc) on the project.

ï       Communication with stakeholders and writing of all project reports and publications.

Project tile: Advanced Molecular Methods for Detection and Quantification of SARS-CoV-2 in Wastewater and Sanitary Settings (2021-2022)

Role: Principal Researcher

Funder: South African Water Research Commission

 Responsibility:

ï       Drafted the funding proposal.

ï       Coordinated all research activities.

      ï       Supervised graduate students (3) and researchers (2 post-docs and 1 laboratory technician) on the project.

ï       Communication with stakeholders and writing of all project reports and publications.

    ï    Founding member of the South African Covid Collaborative Environmental Surveillance (SACCESS) Network: A nationwide COVID-19 WBE surveillance initiative.

Project title: Wastewater-Based Epidemiological Detection of COVID-19 in Wastewater (2020-2021)

Role: Principal Researcher

Funder: Umgeni Water (South Africa) 

Responsibility:

ï       Drafted the funding proposal.

ï       Coordinated all research activities.

      ï       Supervised graduate students (3) and researchers (2 post-docs and 1 laboratory technician) on the project.

ï       Communication with stakeholders and writing of all project reports and publications.

Project title: Antibiotic profile and distribution of antibiotic resistance associated with tuberculosis treatment regimens in African wastewater treatment plants (2019-2022)

Role: Researcher

Funder: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) & South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC)

Responsibility:

ï       Drafting the funding application.

      ï       Responsible for establishment of collaboration with institutions in various African countries.

ï       Supervision of wastewater sampling across Africa.

ï       Contribution to report and publication writing

ï       Advisory support to graduate students enrolled on the project.

Project title: Microplastics and nanoplastics as carriers of antibiotic resistance genes in aquatic environments (2019-2022)

Role: Principal researcher and Country Program Coordinator (South Africa)

Funder: Joint Program Initiative on Water Resources (JPI-WATER) - European Union and South African Water Resources Research Commission.

Responsibility:

ï       Participated in securing funding from the agencies mentioned above.

ï       Establishment of the research program in South Africa

ï       Establishment of collaboration with relevant authorities in South Africa.

      ï       Responsible for reporting to the South African funding partner, as well as contribution to the international reporting to the JPI secretariat.

ï       Supervision of graduate students (one masters and one doctoral) on the project.

      ï       Ensuring communication and collaboration with partners from Norway, Cyprus and Germany.

ï       Steering committee member for the international project.

Project title: Assessing fecal pathogen contamination and risk exposure in community bathing areas (CABs): a case study of informal settlements within the municipality of eThekwini, South Africa (2019-2021)

Role: Researcher

Funder: South African Water Research Commission

Responsibility:

ï       Drafting of the funding application.

      ï       Responsible for developing a risk assessment framework for shared sanitation facilities in informal settlements (slums).

      ï       Establishment of a community engagement program with support from local authorities and community leaders.

ï       Advisory support to doctoral student enrolled on the project.

Project title: Development of rapid method for the detection of protozoan parasites in environmental samples

Role: Principal Investigator/Project Leader

Funder: South African-Sweden Universities Forum (SASUF)

Responsibility:

ï       Responsible for securing research funds from SASUF

ï       Design of the study and coordination of research activities in South Africa

ï       Recruitment of student (One doctoral student) and supervision.

ï       Reporting to all stakeholders

ï       Organizing student and researcher exchange between South Africa and Sweden

Project title: Surveillance of Antibiotic Resistance Through African Sewage Analysis (2018-2019)

Role: Principal Investigator/Project Leader

Funder: Center for Antibiotic Resistance Research (CARe), University of Gothenburg.

Responsibility:

     ï       Principal Investigator leading the project, which involves establishing agreements with partner organizations from around 10 African countries, including South Africa.

ï       Development of a wastewater sampling regime in these countries.

ï       Visit these countries for sampling purposes and discussions on project outcomes.

ï       Coordination with the University of Gothenburg for further sample analysis

      ï       Supervision of personnel (one graduate student and one research assistant) working on the project.

ï       Preparing project reports to funding agencies and writing papers.

Project title: Development of a unified method for the detection and quantification of soil- transmitted helminths in environmental samples (2015-2018)

Role: Principal Researcher

Funder: Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF)

Responsibility:

     ï       Principal researcher tasked with developing a uniform method for the detection of soil- transmitted helminths in the environment.

ï       Oversaw the establishment of the laboratory responsible for the project.

      ï       Recruitment and supervision of personnel to assist with the project (a lab assistant and administrative officer)

      ï       Training of BMGF partner laboratories in Senegal and India on the use of the developed method.

ï       Reporting to BMGF on project outcomes and writing of papers for publication.

Project title: Combining decentralized wastewater treatment with agriculture (2015-2016)

Role: Researcher

Funder: South African Water Research Commission

Responsibility:

ï       Responsible for developing a risks assessment framework associated with the reuse of wastewater for irrigation.

ï       Preparation of report to the funding agency

ï       Collaboration with location authorities in instituting training programs for wastewater reuse.

Project tile: Combined health risks associated with reuse of urban and peri- urban agricultural wastewater in Kumasi, Ghana (2012-2013)

Role: Researcher (Microbiologist)

Funder: Norwegian Research Council. 

Responsibility:

ï       Microbiologist responsible for all laboratory analysis.

ï        Supervision of project assistants (2 field assistants and one lab assistant).

ï       Establishment of connection with local farmers using wastewater for irrigation.

      ï       Participation in the study design, particularly for wastewater, vegetable and stool sampling from farmers

ï       Contribution towards the writing of reports and papers based on the project.