Environment Centre Wales

School of Environmental and Natural Sciences

Bangor University

Bangor LL57 2UW, UK

Phone: +44 (0) 1248 382615

Email: k.farkas@bangor.ac.uk

My research focuses on waterborne enteric viruses, which cause gastrointestinal illness. I study how these viruses are transported and how long they pose a public health threat, particularly in developing regions. I am also interested in how urbanization and climate change impact the diversity of human and animal viruses in aquatic environments.

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, I have been working on wastewater-based epidemiology and eNA solutions, utilizing the One Health approach to track and provide early warnings for human and zoonotic diseases. These include SARS-CoV-2, polioviruses, influenza viruses (such as H5N1 bird flu), and antimicrobial-resistant pathogens. For more details, visit our project website: viraqua.uk.

Researcher Development Concordat Group (RDCG)

I am also the school representative for Bangor University’s RDCG that discusses and recommends actions to support researchers’ professional development to reach teir full potential. We focus on:

• Research environment and culture
• Employment
• Development and wellbeing.

For more information and advice please contact me or visit the following links:

https://my.bangor.ac.uk/humanresources/staffdevelopment/researcherdevelopment/index.php.en

https://www.bangor.ac.uk/humanresources/concordat.php.en

- Human health-related water microbiology

- Environmental virology

- Enteric viruses

- Waterborne pathogens

- Water quality

- Shellfish hygiene

Fate of human pathogenic viruses in the environment (2015-2018): http://www.viraqua.uk/

Grant writing fellowship (2018)