Luisa Ikner is an Assistant Professor and Environmental Microbiologist in the Department of Environmental Science.   She obtained her Ph.D. in Soil, Water and Environmental Science from the U of A in 2010. She then worked as a Senior Virologist and Study Director for Antimicrobial Test Laboratories (now Microchem) located in Round Rock, Texas from 2010 to 2014 to oversee and perform antiviral efficacy evaluations for data submission to the US EPA.   Dr. Ikner returned to the University of Arizona in 2014 with a strong desire to conduct research, collaborate with faculty, most importantly - to work with and mentor aspiring students towards their life goals. At the Water & Energy Sustainable Technology (WEST) Center, Dr. Ikner partners with industry and municipal entities to conduct hygienic intervention studies, oversee rigorous antibacterial/antiviral efficacy testing, and evaluate water treatment technologies for pathogen inactivation and reduction. She is currently involved as a co-investigator for USDA, EPA, and CDC research projects in several areas including soil health, virus tracking in wastewater plants, and cell culture method development for SARS-CoV-2 detection at the BIO5 Institute.