Postdoctoral Fellow

Jesse Contreras, PhD, MPH

Jesse Contreras, PhD, MPH

Postdoctoral Fellow

  • PhD in Epidemiological Sciences, University of Michigan, 2020
  • MPH in Global Health Epidemiology, University of Michigan, 2016
  • BS in Public Health, University of Texas at Austin, 2014

Dr. Contreras is broadly interested in understanding health within complex social-environmental systems, including the social production of harmful exposures and adverse health. His topical interest is primarily health related to water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH), with particular emphasis on sanitation and wastewater reuse for agriculture. Dr. Contreras seeks to advance the use of qualitative and community-based research in environmental and infectious disease epidemiology, as well as the use of theory (such as Ecosocial Theory and Political Ecology) to contextualize epidemiological research.

Contreras JD, Islam M, Mertens A, Pickering AJ, Kwong LH, Arnold BF, Benjamin-Chung J, Hubbard AE, Alam M, Sen D, Islam S, Rahman M, Unicomb L, Luby SP, Colford Jr. JM, Ercumen A. Influence of community-level sanitation coverage and population density on environmental fecal contamination and child health in a longitudinal cohort in rural Bangladesh. International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health. 2022; 245:114031. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijheh.2022.114031 

Contreras JD, Islam M, Mertens A, Pickering AJ, Arnold BF, Benjamin-Chung J, Hubbard AE, Rahman M, Unicomb L, Luby SP, Colford Jr. JM, Ercumen A. Evaluation of an on-site sanitation intervention against childhood diarrhea and acute respiratory infection 1 to 3.5 years after implementation: Extended follow-up of a cluster randomized controlled trial in rural Bangladesh. PLOS Medicine. 2022; 19(8): e1004041. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1004041 

Contreras JD, Islam M, Mertens A, Pickering AJ, Kwong LH, Arnold BJ, Benjamin-Chung J, Hubbard AE, Alam M, Sen D, Islam S, Rahman M, Unicomb L, Luby SP, Colford JM, Ercumen A. 2021. Longitudinal Effects of a Sanitation Intervention on Environmental Fecal Contamination in a Cluster-Randomized Controlled Trial in Rural Bangladesh. Environmental Science & Technology. 2021;55(12):8169-8179. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.1c01114