Team

Professor Wim Meijer is Professor of Microbiology in the UCD School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science. His research focuses on two thematic areas: water quality and human/animal health. Within this context he has directed research projects funded by national and international funding agencies including Science Foundation Ireland, the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, the European Union, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Health Service Executive. His water themed research focuses on water quality of bathing waters, rivers and streams, in relation to faecal contamination, pathogens and antimicrobial resistance, working closely with colleagues in other disciplines, with local authorities and national regulatory bodies. Professor Meijer’s research team leads the laboratory analysis for the National Wastewater Surveillance Programme, working in collaboration with colleagues from the Health Protection Surveillance Centre, National Virus Reference Laboratory, Health Service Executive and Uisce Éireann. This programme aims to determine the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 and additional human viral pathogens, antimicrobial resistance genes as well as illicit drug use in the Irish population through wastewater-based epidemiology.

Associate Professor John O’Sullivan is Head of the UCD School of Civil Engineering and is a Fellow of the UCD Earth Institute and a member. He has research interests in hydrology, hydraulics, and hydrodynamic and water quality modelling and he has been a Principal Investigator on national and European projects in these areas. Associate Professor O’Sullivan has published over 60 international peer reviewed journal papers and in excess of 70 conference papers. He is also an Editor for the International Water Association (IWA) Journal of Water Supply and Technology and a regular reviewer of articles in high impact international journals.

Joanne Chadwick is a Research Project Manager in the UCD School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science.  Joanne has over 15 years’ experience in managing large scale national and international research projects, including several EU projects, focusing on human and environmental health (One Health).  Joanne is responsible for the day-to-day management of the Acclimatize 2 project and UCD’s work on the National Wastewater Surveillance Programme.

Dr. Deepak Kumar Prasad is a Postdoctoral Researcher in the UCD School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science, working on the Acclimatize 2 project. His research focuses on identifying and analysing pollution streams impacting Dublin Bay and its catchment.

He completed his PhD at the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, where he investigated antibiotic resistance and micro-organic pollutants in the River Ganga. Deepak’s expertise includes advanced molecular techniques, microbial culture, and environmental monitoring.

Deepak’s research interests include antimicrobial resistance and microbial source tracking, aiming to enhance our understanding of contaminants’ ecological and health impacts.

Dr Ravindar Rajendran is a Research Scientist on the Acclimatize 2 project in the UCD School of Civil Engineering. His work focuses on developing, calibrating and validating hydrodynamic-water quality (HD-WQ) models to predict the transport and fate of microbial contaminants in Dublin Bay, particularly in wave-driven environments.

With over a decade of experience in coastal and ocean engineering, Dr Ravi brings a unique blend of industry and research expertise. An alumnus of IIT Madras, he has collaborated with leading global institutions, including University College London and Leibniz University Hannover, supported by prestigious research grants such as DAAD and SPARC.

His research interests lie in hydro-environmental modelling, nature-based solutions, coastal water quality, and digital transformation, aligning with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. He integrates fieldwork, experimental methods, and numerical modelling to develop sustainable and resilient water solutions.

Xin Tao is a Research Assistant at the UCD School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science. Xin graduated with First-Class Honours in Biological Sciences from UCD in 2023, where he gained a solid foundation in microbiological and molecular techniques.

Before joining the Acclimatize 2 team, Xin worked at the School of Biology and Environmental Science, contributing to the “E-Crop” project. His role involved performing microbiome diversity analysis and greenhouse evaluation.

Xin’s work involves applying microbial source tracking to analyse water quality and identify contamination sources, with a particular focus on understanding how pollution introduces pathogens into aquatic systems and its impact on public health.

Hannah Murphy is a PhD student on the Acclimatize 2 project. Her research focuses on the relationship between water quality, varying sources of faecal pollution, and the occurrence of waterborne parasites in surface water.

She earned her MSci in Biology from the University of Manchester in 2022. Her Master’s research investigated the molecular and cellular requirements for a chitinase-like protein to regulate type 2 and type 17 immune responses.

Following her graduation, Hannah worked as a Research Assistant on the National Wastewater Surveillance Programme at UCD, a project co-led by Professor Wim Meijer. In this role, she contributed to monitoring the prevalence of viral pathogens across Ireland, including SARS-CoV-2 and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).