Position Title
Staff Research Associate III
Minji first joined the Shapiro lab as a postdoctoral scholar and later transitioned into her current role as a staff research associate. She completed her master's studies in Civil and Environmental Engineering in South Korea and earned her Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering from UC Davis, where her doctoral research focused on microbial source tracking (MST) in aquatic environments. Her current work centers on protozoan detection and viability discrimination, quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA), and the impact of microplastics on the fate of pathogens in marine ecosystems. She is also investigating the transmission pathways of protozoan pathogens to better understand emerging environmental health risks. Outside the lab, Minji enjoys walking her dog, experimenting with new recipes, and exploring family-friendly spots.