People

Director

Grego, Ph.D.

Sonia Grego, Ph.D.

Associate Research Professor in Electrical and Computer Engineering

Dr. Grego has been developing health-focused engineering innovations for 15 years with expertise in sensors, diagnostics, systems miniaturization and tissue bioengineering. Her research interests include sensors for digital sanitation solutions and technologies for early detection of disease. She directs global field-testing of transformative sanitation technologies prototypes, particularly in India. Dr. Grego has served on NIH review panels for 10 years, served as co-chair of multiple symposia, co-authored more than 50 scientific publications and has been awarded four patents. Visit Scholars@Duke for more information.

Leadership Team

Stoner, Ph.D.

Brian Stoner, Ph.D.

Research Professor in Electrical and Computer Engineering

Dr. Stoner is Principal Investigator (PI) and Director of the Duke University Center for WaSH-AID (Water, Sanitation, Hygiene and Infectious Disease), Research Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Duke University. He is a materials scientist with expertise in the synthesis, processing, and characterization of materials using electrical, electrochemical and plasma techniques. He holds 28 U.S. patents related to novel microelectronic materials and systems, and has authored or co-authored two book chapters and more than 200 scientific publications. Visit Scholars@Duke for more information.

Headshot of Julia Darcy

Julia Darcy, Ph.D.

Assistant Research Professor

Dr. Darcy is an Assistant Research Professor. Prior to joining the team, she spent 3 years at AxNano, a cleantech venture studio, developing water remediation technologies. Julia’s research interests include nutrient remediation, groundwater remediation, and water reuse. She is particularly interested in the technology development cycle and transitioning technologies from the bench to the field. Julia holds a Ph.D. in Inorganic Chemistry from Yale University as well as a B.S. in Chemistry and B.A. in Environmental Studies from Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Visit Scholars@Duke for more information. 

Collaborators

Barto, M.D.

Amy Barto, M.D.

Associate Professor of Medicine and Gastroenterologist

Dr. Barto specializes in gastroenterology, specifically adult inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) including Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. She is an expert in fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) for recurrent Clostridium difficile infection and established the Duke FMT program in January 2019. Dr Barto’s research interests include translational and clinical studies on novel technologies, therapeutics and protocols for IBD and FMT. 

Katerine Whiteson headshot

Katrine L. Whiteson, Ph.D.

Associate Professor Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, and Pediatrics

Dr. Whiteson is a biochemist at the University of California Irvine and is interested in human associated microbial and viral communities. She uses metagenomics, metabolomics, microbial genetics and ecological statistics to answer questions about how microbes and viruses affect human health. She is interested in understanding how individual and persistent human-associated microbial and viral communities affect health. Infection with a bacterial pathogen, vaccination, immune development and even taking a Tylenol does not occur in a vacuum. Dynamic microbial and viral communities constantly inhabit our bodies, encoding the majority of the unique genes that alter these processes. Resident microbial and viral community composition is unique to each human. Visit Dr. Whiteson's faculty page for more information on her research. 

Ruiz, M.D.

Jose R. Ruiz, M.D.

Gastroenterologist

Dr. Ruiz is a gastroenterologist affiliated with Baptist Health Baptist Hospital in Miami. He was previously a Fellow at the University of Pennsylvania, completing training in Advanced Therapeutic Endoscopy. Dr Ruiz has broad research interests in the field of general gastroenterology, endoscopy, population health, and artificial intelligence. He has presented his research at several national and international conferences, including Digestive Disease Week and the Annual Scientific Meeting of the American College of Gastroenterology. Dr. Ruiz has been working and collaborating closely with the Smart Toilet team for several years.  

Jin Zhou

Jin Zhou

Graduate Researcher

Jin Zhou is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering in the Pratt School of Engineering at Duke University. His current research interests include machine learning, medical image analysis, and sensor data interpretation.

Former Collaborators

Ginsburg, M.D., Ph.D.

Geoffrey Ginsburg, M.D., Ph.D.

Dr. Ginsburg is Chief Medical and Scientific Officer of the National Institutes of Health's All of Us Research Program. Dr. Ginsburg was founding director for the Duke University Center for Applied Genomics & Precision Medicine, where he pioneered translational genomics, the development of novel diagnostics, and precision medicine. He also served as a professor of Medicine, Pathology, and Biostatistics and Bioinformatics in the Duke University School of Medicine, professor of Biomedical Engineering in the Pratt School of Engineering, and a professor in the School of Nursing.

Krishnendu Chakrabarty, Ph.D.

Krishnendu Chakrabarty, Ph.D.

Dr. Chakrabarty is the Fulton Professor of Microelectronics in the School of Electrical and Computer and Energy Engineering at Arizona State University. Dr. Chakrabarty is an expert in machine learning for time-series data analytics. He has developed solutions for failure prediction in complex electronic systems. His research interests include 3D circuit integration and system-on-chip, microfluidic biochips, hardware security, and neuromorphic computing systems. Visit Google Scholar for more information.  

Deborah Anne Fisher, M.D., M.H.S.

Deborah Anne Fisher, M.D., M.H.S.

Dr. Fisher is the Lead Clinical Research Physician for Gastroenterology for Eli Lilly's US Medical Affairs. Previously at Duke University School of Medicine, Dr. Fisher provided patient care as a general gastroenterologist and conducted clinical research, with interests in outcomes research, big data analysis, and collaborations with the School of Engineering on GI clinical applications of new technology. Her educational activities have included clinical teaching, research mentoring, and directing the Department of Medicine MENTORS program for research fellows. 

Hawkins, Ph.D.

Brian Hawkins, Ph.D.

Dr. Hawkins is a Program Director in the Office of Partnerships at North Carolina State University. While at Duke University, Dr. Hawkins oversaw multiple research and development programs and coordinated technology partnerships with other academic institutions and companies. His research interests include processes for household-scale water treatment and reuse, nutrient remediation, and energy recovery. Within the Smart Toilet Lab, Dr. Hawkins was the PI on the Duke University portion of a Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) grant awarded to Coprata, Inc. from the National Institutes of Health. Prior to joining Duke, he worked at RTI International and the University of Washington School of Medicine, and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. Dr. Hawkins holds a B.S. in Chemistry from the Georgia Institute of Technology and a Ph.D. in Neuroscience from the University of Arizona. He is a co-author of more than 40 peer-reviewed research publications, review articles, and book chapters, and serves as an Associate Editor of Water and Environment Journal.