Team - Pickering Lab

Amy Pickering, PhD

Associate Professor

Dr. Pickering is the Blum Center Distinguished Chair in Global Poverty and Practice jointly appointed in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and the Blum Center for Developing Economies. Dr. Pickering received her B.S. from Cornell University, M.S. from the University of California, Berkeley, and Ph.D. from Stanford University. She has also held positions as a senior fellow and research engineer at Stanford University, an environmental engineer at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and Fulbright Fellow in Malaysia. She is also co-founder of the non-profit organization Mangrove Water.

Mwale Chiyenge, PhD

Postdoc

Mwale’s research focuses on evaluating the effects of a passive, in-line chlorination intervention alongside on-site disinfectant production on maternal and neonatal health outcomes in low resourced, rural health care facilities. She received her PhD in Civil Engineering with an Environmental Engineering focus from New York University where her research centered around modeling sunlight disinfection kinetics of waterborne bacteria and viruses. Prior to this, she received her B.S. and Master of Environmental Engineering from Texas Tech University.

Kendra Joy Dahmer, PhD

Postdoc

Kendra’s research focuses on improving and implementing environmental surveillance tools for soil-transmitted helminths in endemic countries. Kendra completed her PhD in Comparative Biomedical Sciences at UW-Madison where her research focused on drug target discovery and molecular surveillance tools for vector-transmitted parasitic nematodes. She holds an AA in Sciences from Golden West College and a BS in Microbiology from UW-Milwaukee.

Caroline McCormack

PhD Student, CEE

Caroline is an environmental engineering MS/PhD student at UC Berkeley interested in pathogen transmission in the environment and antimicrobial resistance. She previously graduated with a BS in chemistry and a minor in global health from Emory University, where she researched the synthesis of novel disinfectants to combat antimicrobial resistant bacter

ia.

Jeremy Lowe

PhD Student, CEE

Jeremy focuses on understanding transmission pathways of pathogens in the environment in low-income countries, human exposure to these pathogens and subsequent health outcomes, and strategies that can limit exposure to pathogens and improve health. He is also co-founder and CTO of the NGO Mangrove Water. He previously graduated from NC State University with a B.S. in Environmental Engineering. Outside of research, Jeremy loves being outside either running, cycling, or hiking.

Denise Garcia

PhD Student, CEE

Denise is an MS/PhD student at UC Berkeley. Denise obtained her Bachelor of Science degree in environmental engineering at San Diego State University. Denise conducted research in Tijuana, MX on decentralized wastewater treatment systems. She was awarded the NSF graduate research fellowship and hopes to conduct research on disease transmission in low-income countries while attending UC Berkeley.

Kennedy Brown

PhD Student, CEE

Kennedy is a first year PhD student in the Pickering lab, and comes from the University of Vermont where she received her BS in Civil Engineering and her MS in Environmental Engineering. As an undergraduate and graduate student she conducted research on microbial pathways for the anaerobic degradation of organic waste. She is excited to exercise her passion for equitable WASH systems by applying her knowledge in wastewater treatment to a public health setting. During her summers, Kennedy works for Idaho Fish and Game on a backcountry snorkel crew where she gets to do her favorite activities such as hiking, biking, swimming, and being outdoors.

Hannah Wharton

PhD student, CEE

Hannah received her BS and MS in Civil Engineering from UMass Amherst, where she evaluated bacterial water quality from point-of-use water treatment for low income settings and researched pathogen transport in intermittent water supply. Her research interests focus on investigating pathogen transmission in low-income settings and the impacts of WASH interventions on transmission pathways.

Joyce Kisiangani

PhD Student, EHS

Joyce’s research focuses on evaluating passive chlorination in healthcare facilities in resource-constrained regions. Prior to joining the Pickering Lab at UC Berkeley, she received her MPH from Moi University, Kenya and spent 8 years working at the Aquaya Institute, a non-profit research institute focused on water and sanitation. While there, Joyce conducted research into targeted pro-poor interventions and safe water management and developed a particular interest in water quality.

Vishnu Kotta

PhD Student, CEE

Vishnu Kotta completed his BS and MS at Arizona State University, where he researched pathogen and biofilm interactions with building water treatment technologies and their downstream impacts on public health. At UC Berkeley, he aims to assess the burden of zoonotic and environmentally transmitted pathogens, as well as antimicrobial resistance, in low-resource settings worldwide. He is interested in investigating engineered interventions that strengthen public health infrastructure in these communities.

Yaw Yeboah

PhD Student, CEE

Yaw is an MS/PhD student in Environmental Engineering. Yaw earned his BS in Civil Engineering from Purdue University, where he collaborated with communities in Brazil, New Zealand, and the Dominican Republic to design and implement infrastructure and water systems. Yaw also conducted research at Purdue, where he investigated bioreceptive cementitious composites, and at the University of Canterbury, where he developed low-cost sensors for culvert blockage detection. Bridging his interests in development, environmental sensing, and his lived experiences with water-related diseases in Ghana, Yaw is pursuing a Designated Emphasis in Development Engineering as an NSF Digital Transformation of Development Trainee. Yaw is advised by Professor Kara Nelson and co-advised by Professor Amy Pickering. In his current research, he is investigating the potential of cytometric fingerprinting to profile microbial communities in treated water augmentation systems and implementing inline chlorination technologies in Nigeria.

Emma Nathanson

PhD Student, EHS

Emma is a first-year PhD student in EHS, following her graduation from UC Berkeley with a BA in Interdisciplinary Studies. She is interested in OneHealth research, emphasizing the interconnection between human, nonhuman animal, and planetary health. In particular, she is interested in the interplay between pathogens and climate change. Emma is motivated to improve global health outcomes, particularly for vulnerable populations, and to take strides to mitigate the climate crisis. In her spare time, she enjoys outdoor sports and travel.

Marcy Sanchez

PhD Student, CEE

Marcy is a first-year MS/PhD student at UC Berkeley. She graduated from Yale in 2022 with a BS in Environmental Engineering and spent three years in the environmental remediation industry in New York City. She took a year off during her undergraduate education to focus full-time on wastewater-based epidemiology research to track COVID-19 levels and plans to continue building upon wastewater and public health research at Berkeley.

Sophia Anjali Roy-Burman

MPH Student

Sophia is an MPH student in Epidemiology & Biostatistics, having graduated in 2026 from UC Berkeley with a BA in Public Health. She is passionate about advancing environmental health at the intersections of disciplines, communities, and sectors. At Berkeley, she has explored these intersections through water systems – monitoring antimicrobial resistance in wastewater, mitigating arsenic exposure in drinking water, and addressing bacterial contamination through water chlorination. Across these experiences, she is motivated to advance health equity by integrating data, infrastructure, and lived experience to address complex environmental health challenges. Outside of her work, Sophia loves spending time with friends, being outdoors, hiking, triathlon, puzzles, and exploring new places!

Katherine Marshall

Research Manager

Katherine supports research focused on passive chlorination in low-resource contexts to improve access to safe drinking water. Broadly, she has an interest in how technology, behavior, and policy interact to support the adoption of safe water solutions. She previously worked with The Aquaya Institute and served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Uganda. Katherine holds an MS in Environmental Engineering from the University of South Florida and an MA in Public Policy from the University of Chicago.

Natalie Leyva

UG, BioE

Natalie Leyva is passionate about harnessing engineering to address global health challenges, with a special focus on developing medical devices that detect and prevent infectious diseases. Natalie is particularly interested in how accessible and innovative technologies can disrupt disease transmission and improve health outcomes in low-resource settings. She looks forward to contributing to research that integrates epidemiology, genomics, and engineering to create scalable public health solutions. On campus, Natalie is committed to expanding STEM education in the Bay Area, especially by creating opportunities for students who are underrepresented in STEM or have had limited exposure to science and engineering. She enjoys mentoring and encouraging students to explore STEM fields and pursue their interests. Outside of her academic pursuits, Natalie loves exploring the Bay Area, hiking, and discovering new coffee shops with friends.

Alexa Piscil

UG, BioE

Alexa Piscil is an undergraduate at the University of California, Berkeley, studying bioengineering. She is passionate about researching and creating solutions to ailments that affect people of color at a higher or unknown rate to better represent communities of color in the medical and science fields. She is focused on researching methods that involve
medical devices, cell and tissue engineering, and recombinant DNA technology. Outside of research, Alexa likes to play with UC Berkeley Mariachi Luz de Oro, listen to music, read, bake, travel, and hang out with friends!

Fernando De Silva

UG, Mechanical Engineering

Fernando is an undergraduate mechanical engineer with expertise in design and mechanical engineering. He manages the lab’s 3D printers and works on a project to adapt the TuriTap chlorine doser to manual handpumps.

Elena Rodriguez

UG, BioE

Elena is an undergraduate student at the University of California, Berkeley, studying bioengineering. She is excited about helping design and develop accessible medical and environmental technology to address the global disparities in each respective sector. She is passionate about community and value sharing success with those around me throughout my academic and professional endeavors. She enjoys serving as a mentor and constantly seek opportunities to apply my knowledge to support K-12 students from underrepresented backgrounds in discovering and nurturing a blossoming interest in STEM. Outside the classroom, she enjoys trying new things! She loves stepping out of her comfort zone to pursue newfound interests.

Sofia Garcia

UG, Environmental Science, Physics

Sofia is a third-year student studying Environmental Science and Physics with a focus on sustainability and clean energy systems. She is particularly interested in advancing equity-centered and community-based solutions to climate change, which is why supporting STEM education through the Pickering Lab’s soil seq team stands out to her. On campus, she also conducts research through SPUR with Professor Meg Mills-Novoa on energy transitions and water justice in the Great Basin and serves as a UCSF fellow working on lab sustainability and decarbonization initiatives. In her free time, she enjoys exploring the Bay Area, learning tango, playing guitar, and connecting with nature!

Kareena Lallian

UG, Mechanical Engineering

Kareena is a first-year undergraduate student at the University of California, Berkeley, studying Bioengineering. She is passionate about harnessing bioengineering to address public health challenges at the intersection of environment and agriculture. Her interests center on understanding how agricultural systems, environmental exposures, and biological processes shape public health outcomes, and how to engineer solutions to combat these issues in the field. In her free time, she enjoys reading, watching basketball, and being outdoors!

Isaac Mendoza

UG, CEE

Isaac Mendoza is an undergraduate at UC Berkeley majoring in civil engineering. He intends to leverage his experiences at Berkeley to become an engineer who: ensures a healthy environment for generations to come, makes a lasting societal impact, and engineers creative solutions for underserved communities. At the Pickering Lab, Isaac is excited to work at the intersection of these interests while contributing to impactful research. Committed to establishing community, Isaac is also involved on campus as an active member of Berkeley’s engineering community–both as a mentor and as a member of the ASCE environmental competition team on campus. Beyond academics, Isaac enjoys rock-climbing, trying new restaurants, and cooking.

Lab Alumni