Joan Rose

Joan Rose

Professor Joan B. Rose holds the Homer Nowlin Chair in Water Research at Michigan State University, where she has worked for the last 22 years. She is Director of the university’s Water Alliance, leading interdisciplinary efforts to solve global water problems. She is also a member of the US National Academy of Engineering, the Royal Institution of Singapore and the EU Academy of Sciences, as well as a Corresponding Member of the Royal Academy of Sciences and Arts of Barcelona, Spain. 

Prof Rose is an international expert in water microbiology, water quality and public health safety with over 300 publications. She is the recipient of the 2016 Stockholm Water Prize and more recently the 2024 IWA Global Water Award. Her research focuses on the application of new molecular methods, pathogen surveillance, microbial source tracking, removal of pathogens by water and wastewater treatment, and quantitative microbial risk assessment. She is currently Chair of the International Joint Commission’s Health Professionals Advisory Board. She has also been collaborating with the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy on the state-wide programme to use advanced technology for beach water testing and with the Michigan Department of Human Health Services on wastewater surveillance.