DISEASE DETECTIVES
------- A Bit About Our Story -------
Hey there! It’s great to meet you! And we hope you love meeting us too!
We are a group of fourth-year Honours Biology students at McMaster University and are all very passionate about ecology and research. We met each other in our Biology 4A03 - Advanced Topics in Ecology course and quickly bonded over our shared interests and passions. We were fascinated by the field of ecosystem/urban ecology and wanted to investigate the effects of urbanization on the environment around us.
Our group - Disease Detectives - wanted to analyze the impacts of urban pollutants entering coastal wetlands, how they could affect the biological communities that are resident in those wetlands and also influence human health. Our goal is to showcase all our research to you and hope that it broadens your understanding of how we affect the environment around us and helps you appreciate a vital part of our urban and natural world - coastal wetlands!
Meet Our Team!
Alefiya Eski
Hi! I'm Alefiya. For this project, I worked as one of the main researchers focusing on how urban pollutants impact the microbial communities within coastal wetlands. Working along with my colleagues Olivia and Priyanka, my research mainly focused on pharmaceutical pollutants, particularly antibiotics, and the use of microalgae as a potential treatment to remove ARGs and ARB from wastewater. Apart from that, I also served as our team's lead and worked along with my colleagues to develop our graphics, website, and supplementary resources.
Kriti Kakar
My name is Kriti! I was one of the main researchers who studied the effects of urban pollutants such as road salts and de-icing agents on the transmission of vector-borne and water-carried human diseases on populations. I looked at how the presence of ARGs due to pharmaceutical contaminants in coastal wetlands can act as a reservoir for transmitting ARB to humans. I worked alongside my colleague Saba in order to gather resources and information to tackle this problem.
Saba Bhatti
Hello! My name is Saba and for this project I focused on the effects of anthropogenic pollutants on human health, especially indigenous populations. I tackled this topic with my team member Kriti. Specifically, we focused on the impacts of urban pollutants on human health as well as the interacting organisms in coastal wetlands, namely microbial communities. I acted as the team’s agenda keeper and I worked alongside my team to develop our website, presentation, and supplementary materials.
Priyanka Lamba
Hi! My name is Priyanka. I was one of the main researchers who studied the impact of urban pollutants, namely road salts and de-icing agents, on microorganisms in coastal wetlands alongside my colleagues Alefiya & Olivia. I also focused on ways to measure and track the presence of road salt contamination in coastal wetlands & practices that can reduce the amount of road salts being used. I worked alongside my wonderful team to develop our presentation and supplementary resources.
Joseph Aref
Hi my name is Joseph! I’m working alongside Malik and Iman to research not only the methods used to measure urban pollutants in wetlands, but also policies and possible solutions for this problem. We investigated the use of bioindicators as a primary method of measuring contamination of wetlands. I also researched alternative methods to assess road salt pollution in wetlands. These include soil testing, vegetation sampling, and conductivity tests. I contacted and met with Dr. Luc Bernier to gain his information on the usefulness and reliability of these sampling methods.
Olivia Daza
Hi, my name is Olivia! Working alongside Alefiya and Priyanka, I researched how pharmaceuticals, specifically antibiotics, enter coastal wetlands through wastewater treatment plant effluents and how these antibiotics affect the bacteria living there. I also investigated the potential solution of utilizing microalgae for the reduction and removal of pharmaceuticals from wetlands. In addition, I was responsible for the editing of our presentation recordings and arranging our multimedia components.
Malik Naim
Hey everyone, my name is Malik! Working with Iman and Joseph, we focused on researching the solution aspect of our project, mainly by studying the methods surrounding urban contaminant regulation and elimination. We looked at stormwater management as an ideal solution, with possible bioindicators and technologies that can help measure and regulate water quality. I also looked at policy by networking with contacts outside of McMaster University. As Chief Harmonizer, I ensured a positive atmosphere at all times, with an emphasis on decreasing stress and promoting good vibes.
Emma (Iman) Mohammed
Hey, my name is Iman! Along with Joseph and Malik, I researched various methods that are currently used to detect the presence of road salt contamination in coastal wetlands; in Canada and around the world. This includes biological indicators, more specifically, benthic macroinvertebrates. Moreover, we looked at policies that are currently in place to combat the presence of urban pollutants in wetlands and contacted Dr. Claire Oswald (Ryerson University). I worked alongside my team members to develop our website, presentation and supplementary resources.