Windy Tanner, MSPH, PhD
Biography
Research & Publications
Biography
Windy Tanner is a clinical and environmental microbiologist with training and experience in infectious disease epidemiology. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Biochemistry and Masters of Science and Doctor of Philosophy degrees in Public Health. Following her undergraduate training, Dr. Tanner worked in the infectious diseases section of a clinical reference laboratory and obtained her certification in clinical microbiology from the American Society for Clinical Pathology. She then went on to lead the environmental microbiology section of the Utah Public Health Laboratory for 7 years while pursuing her Masters and PhD. Dr. Tanner's research is primarily focused on antimicrobial-resistant organisms and the SARS-CoV-2 virus in natural and clinical environments and the spread of drug resistance factors in healthcare and community settings. She is also interested in waterborne pathogens such as Legionella and Salmonella Typhi, wastewater-based epidemiology, a One Health approach to antimicrobial resistance, bacterial cross resistance between disinfectants and antibiotics, and the role of biofilms in antimicrobial resistance gene exchange in waterborne pathogens. She has a passion for global health research and has worked on multiple projects focused on environmental antimicrobial resistance in low and middle income countries.
Education & Training
- Postdoctoral FellowUniversity of Utah (2017)
- PhDUniversity of Utah, Public Health (2014)
- MSPHUniversity of Utah, Public Health (2008)
Activities
- SARS-CoV-2 contamination of environmental surfaces in the Emergency DepartmentNew Haven, United States (2020-2021)
- Environmental Niches of Salmonella TyphiJamshoro, Pakistan 2019Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Grand Challenges Exploration grant to study Salmonella Typhi in the environment in Sindh Province, Pakistan.
- Presence and Transmission of Antibiotic Resistant Organisms via Fecal-Oral Routes in PakistanJamshoro, Pakistan (2018-2019)Study of carbapenem-resistant E. coli in community latrines in Sindh Province, Pakistan
- Granular Modeling: Simulating the Transmission of Healthcare-Associated Infections in Hospitals and Control StrategiesSalt Lake City, United States (2015-2020)
Honors & Recognition
Award | Awarding Organization | Date |
---|---|---|
U. of Utah School of Medicine Vice President's Clinical and Translational Scholar | University of Utah School of Medicine | 2019 |
IDWeek2017 Trainee Travel Grant | Infectious Diseases Society of America | 2017 |
Travel award for the Conference on Innovative Microbial Ecology for Mitigation of Antibiotic Resistance and Bacterial Diseases | American Society for Microbiology | 2017 |
Induction into Alpha Theta chapter of the Delta Omega Honor Society | Delta Omega Honor Society | 2015 |