Sixth Annual Shah Family Lecture: Gambling with germs: Microbial risk assessment

Charles P. Gerba, Professor of Environmental Microbiology in the Department of Soil, Water & Environmental Science at the University of Arizona in Tucson, AZ, is recognized nationally for his work on household microbes and intestinal diseases, including the study of new methods for the detection of waterborne pathogens and pathogens in the environment, microbial risk assessment, the development of new disinfectants, and drinking water treatment processes. He has co-authored textbooks on environmental microbiology, microbial risk assessment, viruses in groundwater and other topics and has published over 500 scientific papers. His research into the environmental transmission of disease-causing microorganisms has spanned more than 30 years, beginning in 1973, while an assistant professor at Baylor College of Medicine, where he laid the foundation for his highly regarded work on household hygiene.