Katie Vigil

PhD Student in Environmental Health Studies

Environmental Health Doctoral Student Katie Vigil holding a water testing device

Biography

I am California Certified Public Health Microbiologist (PHM) with  BS and MS degrees in Biology from Humboldt State University (HSU). At HSU, I did molecular research of Rickettsia bacteria Inticks. I also worked at the Humboldt County, Solano County, and Richmond State Microbial Disease (MDL) Public Health Laboratories as a Laboratory Technician and PHM trainee. After my PHM training, I worked at the Santa Clara Valley Water District as a Microbiologist, where I conducted various drinking water, raw water and recycled water compliance testing. Currently, I am working towards my PhD in Environmental Public Health at Tulane University. I am interesting in using various advanced molecular techniques to study viruses and microbes from diverse water sources. I want to use metagenomics to understand the impact that microbes and viruses have on aquatic ecosystems.