Prof. Gertjan Medema PhD

Prof. Gertjan Medema (M) is principal microbiologist at KWR since 1996. His main area of expertise is detection methods, transmission, risk assessment and epidemiology of waterborne pathogens. His initiated research on sewage surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 and has published on this topic and was invited for keynotes on this by many organizations (WHO, US National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, International Water Association, European Parliament). He coordinated the ‘second-opinion’ epidemiological investigation of the Legionella outbreak in Flint, Michigan.

His experimental, field and modelling research focuses on occurrence, transport and inactivation of waterborne pathogens in the environment and by removal water treatment/disinfection. He is part-time chair on Water & Health at Delft University of Technology (Sanitary Engineering) since 2009 and Visiting Hannah Professor on Water & Health at Michigan State University from 2018-22.

He has coordinated the joint research program of the Netherlands water utilities. He is director of KWR’s WHO collaborating centre on Water Quality & Health and advisor to the WHO on waterborne pathogens, microbiological (drinking) water guidelines and QMRA since 1991, on SARS and WASH in 2003 and ebola and WASH in 2014 and on wastewater surveillance since 2020. Via WHO he has advised the European Commission on the EU Drinking Water Directive and water reuse guidelines. He has over 25 years of experience in European research projects.

He has received the Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize in 2024 and was elected to the US National Academy of Engineering in 2026.