Gerardo Lopez, MAT, MEd, PhD

Gerardo U. Lopez, MAT, MEd, PhD, is an associate professor and extension specialist in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math), food safety and environmental microbiology at the U of A School of Animal and Comparative Biomedical Sciences. Dr. Lopez leads a statewide STEM Leadership Team that implements a 4-H STEM program, which brings engaging, problem-based learning and critical thinking STEM projects to underrepresented, urban and rural youth across  Arizona. Dr. Lopez’s interest in preparing the next generation of STEM professionals extends from youth STEM programming to undergraduate and graduate student research opportunities through his food safety and environmental microbiology research. Dr. Lopez’s research focuses primarily on the protozoan parasite Cyclospora cayetanensis and the occurrence and prevalence of Cyclospora in agricultural waters and fresh produce. The goal of this research is to better understand potential sources of Cyclospora contamination to develop effective mitigation strategies and prevent cyclosporiasis infections. Dr. Lopez’s research utilizes novel quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) methods, including droplet digital (ddPCR) and next-generation sequencing using the Oxford Nanopore MinION platform.