Johns Hopkins Environmental Health & Engineering

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) continues to emerge as one of the most urgent global public health challenges — and agricultural workers are on the front lines.

A recent Nature Portfolio article featuring input from EHE's Chris Heaney, highlights the state of knowledge about, and innovative solutions to, the global challenge of AMR.

Strengthening worker protections, improving antimicrobial stewardship, and advancing One Health approaches will be essential in addressing AMR at scale.
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Why farm workers need protection from antimicrobial resistance Antibiotic use in agriculture threatens the health of workers and their communities, but there are potential solutions.

Congratulations to Shilva Shrestha on receiving a National Science Foundation CAREER Award! 🎉

The NSF CAREER Award honors exceptional early-career faculty members who show outstanding potential for leadership in both education and research. This recognition reflects Shrestha’s dedication to innovation, discovery, and student success.

Shilva Shrestha Receives NSF CAREER award | Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Shrestha researches biotechnologies for wastewater treatment, and recovering biofuels and industrial chemicals from waste and biomass.

We’re excited to share that Carsten Prasse has been selected to participate in the National Academy of Sciences Discovery as a Human Endeavor cohort.

This new pilot initiative is connected to the 2026 Revolutions in Science symposium and highlights leaders contributing to the future of science and discovery.

Congratulations to our Environmental Engineering seniors on a successful Design Day! 🎉

This year, two senior design teams from the EHE showcased their work through presentations and a poster session, highlighting innovative, nature-based solutions to climate change impacts in Baltimore’s Fells Point neighborhood.

From addressing flooding challenges to strengthening community resilience, these projects reflect the creativity, technical skill, and real-world impact our students bring to complex environmental issues.

We’re proud of all they’ve accomplished and look forward to seeing where their work takes them next.

Learn about their projects🌱 👇️

https://publichealth.jhu.edu/2026/engineering-for-a-climate-resilient-fells-point

Design Day is an annual showcase of student innovation at Johns Hopkins Engineering.

This year, Environmental Health and Engineering students are addressing climate challenges in Baltimore’s Fells Point with creative, nature-based solutions—from flood mitigation designs to bio-solar roofs that help manage stormwater and produce clean energy.

See how students are turning ideas into impact.

Engineering for a Climate-Resilient Fells Point | Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Johns Hopkins students develop flood control and bio-solar roof designs to improve climate resilience in Baltimore’s Fells Point.

A project developed and led by assistant professor Lena Smirnova has been awarded $15 million from the National Institutes of Health as part of the Complement-ARIE program.

The funding will support implementation of the Drug Research Organoid Intelligence Development Platform (DROIDp), a framework designed to address a major gap in in vitro neurobiology: measuring higher-order neural responses, including learning-related activity and memory, in human-relevant systems.

Johns Hopkins Researchers Awarded $15 Million to Develop Platform to Study Neurological Diseases and Screen Chemicals Using ‘New Approach Methodologies’ | Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Researchers will join new NIH-supported network working to develop new approach methodologies that complement or replace animal testing.

Olin Shipstead, Engr ’21 (MSE), earned his combined bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Environmental Health and Engineering in 2021. Today, he works at REV Renewables, supporting power market fundamentals, economics, and policy for utility-scale solar, wind, and battery storage projects across competitive U.S. power markets.

We are proud of our alumni advancing the clean energy transition. ⚡

Alumni Spotlight: Olin Shipstead, Engr ’21 (MSE) | Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Olin Shipstead, Engr ’21 (MSE), earned his combined bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the Department of Environmental Health and Engineering in 2021. Olin currently works for REV Renewables, a renewable energy company.

🍄🌱 Can fungi help reduce pharmaceutical pollution?
New research shows that white-rot fungi—such as oyster and turkey tail mushrooms—can break down pharmaceutical residues found in biosolids from wastewater treatment, potentially lowering environmental and public health risks.

This study highlights a nature-based strategy to reduce contaminants in biosolids before land application—turning biology into a tool for sustainability. 🌎🍄

📖 Read more:

White-Rot Fungi Show Promise for Reducing Pharmaceutical Residues in Biosolids | Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Johns Hopkins researchers use oyster and turkey tail mushrooms to break down psychoactive drugs commonly found in wastewater treatment byproducts.

Congratulations to our 2026 Student Poster Session winners, Sal Milletich, Mei-Li Hey, Teresa Schlanser, and Jason Laird.

Special thanks to master of ceremonies Gigi Kwik Gronvall!

Find all the poster abstracts here 👇

https://lnkd.in/eQfgBrQv

Publication Alert!

Researchers at Johns Hopkins have identified a fungal-based approach to reducing pharmaceutical residues in biosolids. In laboratory studies, white-rot fungi degraded most psychoactive drugs tested—often more effectively when grown directly on biosolids than in liquid culture. The findings point to mycoaugmentation as a potential strategy for reducing environmental exposure to persistent pharmaceuticals.

Magic Mushrooms? White-Rot Fungal Degradation of Psychoactive Pharmaceuticals in Biosolids Biosolids, the solid byproducts of wastewater treatment, are widely applied to soils to enhance nutrient levels and organic matter. However, their use raises environmental and human health concerns due to the presence of anthropogenic organic contaminants. As such, there is a need to develop treatme...