Meet our team

Rob Nerenberg

Principal Investigator

Rob is a professor in Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Notre Dame. His research addresses biofilms in a range of environments, from wastewater treatment systems, potable water systems, and clinical infections.

Graduate Students

Yanina Nahum

Yanina is a doctoral student investigating the use of low-frequency ultrasound to enhance antibiotic efficiency in biofilm infections. She has a degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Buenos Aires.

Contact: ynahum@nd.edu

Saúl García Perez

Saul’s research focuses on algal biofilms as photoreactors as well as characterization of fungal biofilms.

Contact: jgarciap@nd.edu

Alejandro Martin Linares

Alejandro is a doctoral student studying fungal biofilm in environmental and clinical systems. He has a degree on Mechanical Engineering from the European University of Madrid, and Masters degrees from Imperial College London and European University of Valencia.

Contact: amarti77@nd.edu

Isaiah Murrel-Thomas

Isaiah is a Masters student studying biofilms and opportunistic pathogens in premise plumbing systems, with a special focus on biofilms in shower hoses. Isaiah earned a degree in Environmental Engineering from the University of Notre Dame.

Contact: imurrell@nd.edu

Francisca Schiaffino Pereira

Fran is a doctoral student studying the effect of low-frequency ultrasound on the inactivation of biofilms. Francisca has a degree in Biological Engineering from the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile.

Contact: fschiaff@nd.edu

Cason Wilburn

Cason is a masters student studying the effect of hydrocyclones on the physical characteristics and microbial community structures of flocs in the activated sludge process. Cason has a degree in Environmental Engineering from the University of Notre Dame.

Contact: cwilburn@nd.edu

Undergraduate Researchers

Vincent Milano, 2023
Dastan Tursaliev, 2023
Hannah Enabnit, 2023

Visiting Scholars

Yan Yang

PhD student

Chongqing University, China

Bruno Garcia Silva

PhD student

University of Sao Paulo, Brazil

Eduardo Leiva

Assistant professor

Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Chile

Claudia Sanchez Huerta

PhD student

KAUST, Saudi Arabia

Minmin Jiang

PhD student

Guiling University of Technology, China

Erika Espinosa Ortiz

Assistant Research Professor

Montana State University, USA

Francisca Schiaffino

Undergraduate student

Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Chile

Alumni

Postdocs

Patricia Perez Calleja

Current position: Manager of R&D at Cimico, Spain

Aura Ontiveros Valencia

Current position: Assistant professor at IPICIT, San Luis Potosi, Mexico

Doctoral Students

Emily Clements (2023)

Current position: Post-doctoral researcher, Southern Nevada Water Authority

Bumkyu Kim (2022)

Current position: Post-doctoral researcher, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Mengfei Li (2021)

Current position: Wastewater Engineer, Jacobs Engineering, Detroit, MI

Marcela Vega Muñoz (2019)

Current position: Post-doctoral researcher, UIUC

Fabrizio Sabba (2016)

Current position: Process Engineer, Black & Veatch, New York, NY

Marcelo Aybar (2016)

Current position: Associate Professor, Universidad San Sebastian, Santiago, Chile

Yue Wang (2015)

Current position: The IFCE, China

Juan Pablo Pavissich (2014)

Current position: Associate Professor, Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Chile

Kelly Gordon (2013)

Current position: Process Engineer, Black & Veatch, Leawood, KS

Brenda Read-Daily (2011)

Current position: Associate Professor, Elizabethtown college, Elizabethtown, PA

Caitlyn Shea Butler (2009)

Current Position: Associate Professor, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA

Leon Downing (2008)

Current Position: Global Practice & Technology Leader for Nutrient Removal and Recovery, Black & Veatch

Masters Students

Sarajane Roenke (2022)

Meenu Garg (2019)

Current position: Jacobs, Hampton Roads, VA

Lara Sisman Grotz (2018)

Current position: HDR, Charlotte, NC

Andrew DeVries (2015)

Current position: Stantec, Ventura, CA

Samuel Bruce (2015)

Current position: HDR, Columbia, SC

Brenda Read-Daily (2011)

Current position: Associate Professor, Elizabethtown college, Elizabethtown, PA

Margaret Dudley (2007)

Current position: unknown

Anna Salamone (2006)

Current position: unknown