Jennifer L. Murphy, Ph.D.

Environmental Microbiologist

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases

Division of Foodborne, Waterborne, and Environmental Diseases

Waterborne Disease Prevention Branch

Email: iod7@cdc.gov

Tel: 404-718-4155

EDUCATION

Ph.D. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill 2006

Environmental Microbiology

B.S. Emory and Henry College 2000

Biology major, Chemistry minor

Grade Point Average: 3.86

PROFESSIONAL EMPLOYMENT

Acting Team Lead, Principal

Investigator of Environmental

Microbiology Laboratory

Centers for Disease Control

and Prevention; Atlanta, GA 7/2016 - present

Microbiologist, Senior

Service Fellow

Centers for Disease Control

and Prevention; Atlanta, GA 7/2015 - 7/2016

Microbiologist, Associate

Service Fellow

Centers for Disease Control

and Prevention; Atlanta, GA 9/2012 - 7/2015

Contract Microbiologist, CDC IHRC, Inc.; Atlanta, GA 10/2010 - 9/2012

Guest Researcher, CDC

Atlanta Education and

Research Foundation (AREF);

Atlanta, GA

7/2009 - 10/2010

WASH Contractor World Bank, Phnom Penh,

Cambodia 4/2009 - 7/2009

Post-doctoral Research Fellow University of North Carolina;

Chapel Hill, NC 9/2006 - 4/2009

Junior Scientist

Institute of Environmental

Science and Research, Ltd.;

Christchurch, NZ

5/2003 - 4/2005

Graduate Research Assistant University of North Carolina;

Chapel Hill, NC 8/2000 - 5/2006

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Acting Team Lead & Principal Investigator of Environmental Microbiology Laboratory

CDC/NCEZID/DFWED/WDPB/WASH Laboratory Team

7/2016 - present (40 hr/wk)

Supervisor: Dr. Vincent Hill, WDPB Branch Chief; +1 (404) 718-4151

Serve as Acting Team Lead for four Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) laboratories

composed of 25 scientists; supervisory responsibilities include:

o Working closely with the Branch Chief and Global Epidemiology, Domestic

Epidemiology, and Health Promotion and Communication Team Leads to collaborate

and support the Branch, Division, Center, and Agency missions

o Aiding scientists in the Team by providing guidance and promoting activities that

support the overall mission of the Branch, Division, Center, and Agency

o Leading regular (monthly) Team meetings to provide updates to staff

o Preparing monthly Team updates for Branch Chief

o Participating in regular Division and Branch Senior Staff meetings and planning

activities

o Ensuring that all staff satisfactorily complete all training requirements, including

safety, health, and environmental work practices, in a timely manner

o Mandating and enforcing staff compliance with all Agency rules, regulations and

policies

o Supporting staff diversity and work-life quality

o Establishing employee performance plans and completing required reviews and final

ratings

o Supporting emergency preparedness and response activities

o Actively engaging in hiring processes with human resources specialists

o Engaging in continuous leadership development activities including annual

mandatory supervisory training requirements

Serve as the Principal Investigator of the Environmental Microbiology Laboratory composed

of 14 scientists (including FTEs, Contractors, and Fellows); supervisory responsibilities

include:

o Providing supervision and scientific support for all activities in the laboratory,

including those related to food safety, advanced molecular diagnostic methods,

domestic WASH, global WASH, CARB, GHSA, and outbreak response

o Serving as a WASH Laboratory Subject Matter Expert in the Agency

o Supervising response to domestic and international waterborne disease outbreaks

o Identifying complex problems in laboratory and field settings, utilizing problem-

solving techniques and implementation of innovative solutions for resolution

o Building a culture of safety and quality management in all laboratory functions

o Maintaining project budgets

o Preparing and/or finalizing progress and final reports for all projects and activities

o Seeking internal and external funding opportunities and submitting proposals to

support new research opportunities

o Fostering collaboration with internal and external researchers to promote scientific

advancement in the laboratory

o Serving as a Team representative of the Global Enterics Interest Group

o Presenting work at internal and external scientific conferences

o Publishing peer-reviewed research articles

Global WASH Laboratory Activity Lead; Environmental Microbiologist

CDC/NCEZID/DFWED/WDPB/WASH Laboratory Team

7/2009 - 7/2015 (40 hr/wk) Supervisor: Dr. Vincent Hill, WASH Laboratory Team Lead; +1 (404) 718-4151

Global Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Projects and Activities

Designed overall approach, developed Standard Operating Procedures, and conducted and/or

supervised microbiological, chemical, and physicochemical testing of water and

environmental samples for global WASH studies, including:

o A study in collaboration with the UNC Water Institute to evaluate a field-deployable,

low-cost E. coli detection method in both laboratory studies at CDC and in field

studies in Ethiopia, Ghana, and Burkina Faso

o A two-year study in collaboration with CDC’s Center for Global Health (CGH),

United Nations High Commissioner of Refugee (UNHCR), the Norwegian Refugee

Council (NRC), and Arba Minch University to assess performance of urine-diverting

dry latrines (UDDT) in Hilaweyn Refugee Camp in Ethiopia based on physico-

chemical measures and survival of Ascaris ova and E. coli in stored waste

o Studies to development methods for detecting and quantifying soil-transmitted

helminths (e.g., Ascaris ova) in environmental samples, including latrine waste and

from surface swabs

o Controlled laboratory studies to evaluate survival of Ascaris ova and E. coli over time

under various environmental conditions (e.g., temperature, pH, moisture content)

o A study in collaboration with Sanivation, LLC to assess efficacy of solar treatment of

latrine waste in rural and refugee settings in Kenya based on physicochemical

measures and survival of Clostridium perfringens spores and E. coli in treated waste

o A study in collaboration with CDC’s Center for Global Health (CGH) to identify

specific recommendations for interventions to reduce HEV transmission among

displaced populations; includes environmental sampling and HEV chlorine

disinfection studies

o A large-scale monitoring and evaluation study of water and sanitation infrastructure

development funded by the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) Millennium

Challenge Account – Zambia (MCA-Z) in Lusaka, Zambia; study included securing a

~$250,000 USG contract with the Zambia Bureau of Standards (ZABS) for household

and source water testing

o A Department-wide water quality survey with Direction Nationale de l'Eau Potable et

de l'Assainissement (DINEPA) in Haiti

o A randomized-controlled trial (RCT) in collaboration with CDC Kenya and Kenya

Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) to assess use of ceramic water filters to reduce

the burden of Cryptosporidium in western Kenya

o A study in collaboration with CGH conducted in Port au Prince, Haiti to assess the

microbiological quality of water sold by private kiosks as well as assess specific

chemical and physical characteristics of water sold from kiosk vendors and providers

o A randomized-controlled study in collaboration with Safe Water and AIDS Project

(SWAP) to correlate self-reported treatment, chlorine residuals, oxidation-reduction

potential, and microbiologic quality of stored water in western Kenya

o A study to evaluate the acceptability and performance of antimicrobial hand towels

among mothers of children less than 1 year old in peri-urban and rural communities in

Nyanza Province, Kenya

o A cluster randomized-controlled evaluation of the health impact of a novel

antimicrobial hand towel on the health of children under 2 years old in rural

communities in Nyanza Province, Kenya

o An epidemiological study with CGH to assess a household water treatment uptake

intervention following the 2011 Haiti cholera outbreak; study included tradition and

novel methods to detect E. coli in source water samples

o Studies to develop methods for recovering and quantifying soil-transmitted helminths

from environmental samples (e.g., latrine waste and environmental wipes)

Waterborne Disease Outbreak Response

o Assisted various WDPB staff in preparation for outbreak response, including water

testing training and preparation of field and laboratory supplies; outbreak countries

include: Malawi, Kenya, Ethiopia, Cameroon, and Liberia

o Conducted an environmental survey of water sources and tested of a variety of water

sample types during a 2015 typhoid fever outbreak in Kampala, Uganda; worked in

partnership with Uganda’s National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC) and

the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA)

o Provided training to Tanzania National Health Laboratory (NHL) staff on water

quality testing methods during a 2015 cholera outbreak; communicated daily with

CDC Country Director and briefed the US Ambassador on the state of water testing

in-country during outbreak

Engaged in discussions with Instituto Nacional de Salud de Colombia (INS) leadership on

the importance of establishing an enteric diseases unit, which encompasses both

epidemiology and laboratory expertise in a National Public Health Institute

Developed and maintained WDPB’s Global WASH laboratory supplies inventory

Provided training on environmental sampling and testing procedures to domestic and

international scientists and partners with a variety of backgrounds and experiences

Served as the WDPB representative in Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA) Laboratory

Working Group meetings

Served as a Supervisor to three Global WASH microbiologists

Supervised and mentored three Emory University Public Health students in ongoing global

WASH laboratory projects

Served as a technical advisor to Safe Water and AIDS Project to obtain Kenya Laboratory

Accreditation

Published peer-reviewed research articles

Co-authored CDC website blog post “Saving Energy, Saving Lives: World Water Day 2014”

Prepared grant proposals

Presented work at internal and external scientific conferences

Domestic Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) Projects and Activities

Designed and performed laboratory-based, controlled disinfection studies of

Cryptosporidium parvum (C. parvum) oocysts to assess the efficacy of chlorine dioxide as an

alternative to hyperchlorination in recreational waters which utilize cyanuric acid for chlorine

stabilization

Designed and performed laboratory-based, controlled disinfection studies of C. parvum to

assess the efficacy of chlorine dioxide as an alternative to hyperchlorination in recreational

water; collaborated with Drexel University for modeling data

Designed and performed laboratory-based, controlled disinfection studies to determine the

effect of a cyanuric acid, a commonly used chlorine stabilizer, on C. parvum inactivation

under hyperchlorination conditions

Collaborated with County Health Departments in Georgia to perform a study utilizing real-

time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to evaluate swim season prevalence of enteric

pathogens in pool filter backwash at treated recreational water venues in metro-Atlanta

Performed a study in collaboration with UNC Charlotte utilizing full-scale swimming pools

to assess removal characteristics of Cryptosporidium oocysts and its microsphere surrogate in

both sand-filter pools amended with coagulants and in pools with diatomaceous earth (DE)

filters

Maintained a Madin Darby Canine Kidney (MDCK) cell line for more than four years

Assisted with purification of C. parvum oocysts from bovine feces

Prepared answers to inquiries submitted by general public to safewater@cdc.gov

Mentored two Georgia State University Masters students in the Environmental Microbiology

Laboratory as part of a laboratory internship program

Published peer-reviewed research articles

Prepared grant proposals

Presented work at internal and external scientific conferences

WASH Contractor

World Bank Water and Sanitation Program (WSP)

4/2009 - 7/2009 (40 hr/wk)

Supervisor: Dr. Jan-Willem Roosenboom, Country Team Lead; +1 (206) 709-3100

Edited WSP Water and Sanitation Field Note on Biosand filter use in Cambodia

Drafted a household water treatment and safe storage (HWTS) technology performance

verification (ETV) strategy for the WASH Sector in Cambodia

Led a WASH Sector Working Group Meeting to promote ETV strategy development

Post-doctoral Research Fellow

UNC Chapel Hill/School of Public Health/Environmental Science and Engineering

9/2006 - 4/2009 (40 hr/wk)

Supervisor: Dr. Mark D. Sobsey, Kenan Distinguished Professor; +1 (919) 966-7303

Designed, performed, and managed studies assessing the microbiocidal efficacy of low-cost,

point-of-use (POU) technologies aimed for use in low-resource settings, including LifeStraw

Personal Water Purifier (Vestergaard-Frandsen, Switzerland) and natural ionic disinfectants

Designed a randomized controlled trial (RCT), including survey documents and laboratory

methodology, to test the health impact of a POU water disinfectant in Kandal Province,

Cambodia

Performed studies to assess fecal indicator microbe detection methods aimed for use in low-

resource settings

Managed a staff of Cambodia laboratory technicians

Designed and taught a course on Household Water Treatment and Safe Storage for college-

level Cambodian laboratorians

Presented work at scientific conferences

Junior Scientist

Institute of Environmental Science and Research (ESR), Ltd.

5/2003 - 4/2005 (40 hr/wk)

Supervisor: Dr. Marion Savill, Environmental Microbiologist

Conducted a study to characterize the bacterial composition of mallard duck feces and

determine if novel bacterial species that could be utilized as potential indicators of avian

fecal contamination were present

Analyzed Campylobacter spp. isolates from gull feces and estuarine waters using multiplex

PCR

Research Assistant

UNC Chapel Hill/School of Public Health/Environmental Science and Engineering

8/2000 - 5/2006 (40 hr/wk)

Supervisor: Dr. Mark D. Sobsey, Kenan Distinguished Professor; +1 (919) 966-7303

Analyzed gull feces from marsh sandflats and adjacent estuarine waters in Talbert Marsh,

California for a range of microorganisms using traditional bacterial detection and

biochemical confirmation methods

Characterized enteric microbes using molecular-based methods including multiplex PCR and

agarose gel electrophoresis, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, reverse line blot hybridization,

and sequence analysis

Presented work at scientific conferences

PUBLICATIONS

Lu, P.; Amburgey, J.E.; Hill, V.R.; Murphy, J.L.; Schneeberger, C.; Arrowood, M.J. A full-

scale study of Cryptosporidium parvum oocyst and Cryptosporidium-sized microsphere

removals from swimming pools via sand filtration. Water Qual Res J Can. 2016. In press.

Murphy, J.L.; Ayers, T.L.; Knee, J.; Oremo, J.; Odhiambo, A.; Faith, S.H.; Nyagol, R.O.;

Stauber, C.E.; Lantagne, D.S.; Quick, R.E. Evaluating four measures of water quality in clay

pots and plastic safe storage containers in Kenya. Water Research. 2016, 104:312-319.

Slayton, R.B.; Murphy, J.L.; Morris, J.; Faith, S.H.; Oremo, J.; Odhiambo, A.; Ayers, T.;

Feinman, S.J., Brown, A.C.; Quick, R.E. A Cluster Randomized Controlled Evaluation of the

Health Impact of a Novel Antimicrobial Hand Towel on the Health of Children Under 2 Years

Old in Rural Communities in Nyanza Province, Kenya. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2016, 94(2):437-

444.

Murphy, J.L.; Arrowood, M.J.; Lu, Xin; Hlavsa, M.C.; Beach, M.J.; Hill, V.R. Effect of

Cyanuric Acid on the Inactivation of Cryptosporidium parvum under Hyperchlorination

Conditions. Envr Sci Technol 2015, 49:7348-7355.

Murphy, J.L.; Haas, C.N.; Arrowood, M.J.; Hlavsa, M.C.; Beach, M.J.; Hill, V.R. Efficacy of

chlorine dioxide tablets on inactivation of Cryptosporidium oocysts. Envr Sci Technol 2014,

48:5849-5856.

Patrick, M.; Berendes, D.; Murphy, J.; Bertrand, F.; Husain, F.; Handzel, T. Access to safe

water in Artibonite, Haiti 16-months after the onset of cholera. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2013,

89(4):647-653.

CDC. 2013. Microbes in Pool Filter Backwash as Evidence of the Need for Improved Swimmer

Hygiene – Metro-Atlanta, Georgia, 2012. MMWR 2013, 62(19):385-388.

Brown, J.; Stauber, C.; Murphy, J.L.; Khan, A.; Mu, T.; Elliott, M.; Sobsey, M.D. Ambient

temperature incubation for the field detection of E. coli in drinking water. J Appl Microbiol

2011, 110(4):915-923.

Liang, K.; Stauber, C.S.; Sobsey, M.D.; Roosenboom, J.W. Murphy JL, ed. Use of BioSand

Filters in Cambodia. 2010, Washington, DC: WSP-World Bank Field Note.

Love, D.C., Vinje, J.; Khalil, M.; Murphy, J.L.; Lovelace, G.; Sobsey, M.D. Evaluation of

RT-PCR and Reverse Line Blot Hybridization for Detection and Genotyping of F-RNA

Coliphages from Estuarine Waters and Molluscan Shellfish. J Appl Microbiol 2008,

104(4):1203-1212.

Murphy, J.; Devane, M.L.; Robson, B.; Gilpin, B.J. Cultural and genotypic

characterisation of the bacterial composition of duck faeces. J Appl Microbiol 2005, 99(2):301-

309.

SELECT ORAL PRESENTATIONS

An Environmental and Acceptability Evaluation of Urine Diverting Dry Toilets (UDDT) in

Hiloweyn Camp, Dollo Ado, Ethiopia. 7th Emergency Environmental Health Forum; 2016 Nov

24-25; Kathmandu, Nepal.

Efficacy of a Solar Sanitation System to Reduce E. coli and C. perfringens spores in Latrine

Waste in Kenya. 2014 Water and Health: Where Science Meets Policy; 2014 Oct 13-17; Chapel

Hill, NC.

Cyanuric Acid Effects on Chlorine Inactivation of Cryptosporidium and Other Microbes. 2012

World Aquatic Health Conference; 2012 Oct 10-12; Norfolk, VA.

Going for the Kill: Considerations and Constraints for Pool Remediation Using Chemical

Disinfection. 2012 World Aquatic Health Conference; 2012 Oct 10-12; Norfolk, VA.

Bucket Chlorination Effectiveness during a Cholera Outbreak in Cameroon. 2011 Water and

Health: Where Science Meets Policy Conference; 2011 Oct 3-7; Chapel Hill, NC.

Efficacy of One Drop Disinfectant for Inactivation of Indicator Microorganisms. American

Society for Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 56th Annual Meeting; 2007 Nov 4-8; Philadelphia,

PA.

SELECT POSTER PRESENTATIONS

Murphy, J.L.; Arrowood, M.J.; Hill, V.R. Efficacy of Chlorine Dioxide on Inactivation of C.

parvum Oocysts. Poster session presented at: World Aquatic Health Conference; 2011 Oct 12-

14; Seattle, WA.

Murphy, J.L.; Arrowood, M.J.; Hlavsa, M.; Hill, V.R. 2010. The effect of cyanuric acid on the

disinfection rate of Staphylococcus aureus and Cryptosporidium parvum. Poster session

presented at: World Aquatic Health Conference; 2010 Oct 6-8; Colorado Springs, CO.

Murphy, J.L.; Witmer, L.D.; Hiser, A.F.; Sobsey, M.D. Efficacy of BacSan Disinfectant for

Inactivation of Indicator Microorganisms. Poster session presented at: The 2008 International

Symposium on Household Water Management and the Fourth Annual Meeting of the

International Network to Promote Household Water Treatment and Safe Storage; 2008 Mar 11-

14; Accra, Ghana.

Murphy, J.L.; Printy, E.R.; Walters, A.R.; Sobsey, M.D. Laboratory Effectiveness of the

LifeStraw as a Personal Point-of-Use Water Purifier. Poster session presented at: The 2008

International Symposium on Household Water Management and the Fourth Annual Meeting of

the International Network to Promote Household Water Treatment and Safe Storage; 2008 Mar

11-14; Accra, Ghana.

Murphy, J.L.; Hiser, A.F.; Sobsey, M.D. Efficacy of “One Drop” Point-of-Use Chemical

Disinfectant to Inactivate Waterborne Pathogens. Poster session presented at: The 14th

International Symposium on Health-Related Water Microbiology, International Water

Association; 2007 Sept 9-15; Tokyo, Japan.

Murphy, J.L.; Sobsey, M.D. Detection and Occurrence of F+ RNA Coliphages, Campylobacter,

and Salmonella in Bird Feces and Marsh Waters Impacting an Urban Ocean Beach. Poster

session presented at: The Annual Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology; 2003 May

18-22; Washington, DC.

AWARDS

NCEZID 2016 Excellence in Public Health Service – Diane Caves Early Career Award

CDC & ATSDR 2013 Plain Writing Act Award – Recreational Water Injury and Illness

Prevention Week Campaign Team

CDC & ATSDR 2013 Excellence in Public Health Impact, International – Kenya Ceramic Water

Filter Trial Team

CDC & ATSDR 2013 Excellence in Partnering, International – Sanivation, DFWED, DGMQ,

and CDC-Kenya Partnership

NCEZID 2013 Director’s Recognition Award – Recreational Water Illness and Injury Prevention

Week Team: Cross-disciplinary and cross-Center/Office Collaborators

Georgia State University Institute of Public Health 2013 Preceptor of the Year

CDC & ATSDR 2012 Excellence in Program or Policy Evaluation, International – Antimicrobial

Hand Towel Evaluation Team

Emory and Henry College 2009 Carl & Ruth Looney Humanitarian Award