A University of Brighton professor whose work has helped protect communities around the world from water-borne disease has been awarded one of the highest honours in applied microbiology.
James Ebdon, Professor of Environmental Microbiology and co-director of the University of Brighton’s Centre for Environment and Society, has been named the 2026 winner of the John Snow Public Health Innovation Prize by Applied Microbiology International (AMI).
The award recognises outstanding achievements in applied microbiology that have delivered measurable improvements in public health and environmental health and is named after John Snow, the pioneering Victorian physician widely regarded as a founder of modern epidemiology.
Over the past 25 years, Professor Ebdon’s research has focused on understanding how water and sanitation systems influence the spread of infectious diseases and how communities can be better protected through safer water supplies and improved sanitation. His research frequently uses bacteriophages (naturally occurring viruses that target bacteria), and microbial indicators to trace contamination and safeguard water supplies in vulnerable communities.
His work has influenced frontline water and sanitation interventions globally. In India, he investigated typhoid transmission routes in densely populated informal settlements alongside partners at the National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases (NICED)and Emory University (US) & funded by the Gates Foundation. Across Malawi, his research supported by UNICEF and GCRF identified contamination pathways in ground waters and in Nepal highlighted flaws in the construction and location of shallow wells.
His group’s expertise has also helped MSF improve emergency sanitation and faecal sludge treatment during humanitarian crises in Bangladesh.
Closer to home, Professor Ebdon pitched the potential of bacteriophages to the UK Government’s Science, Innovation & Technology Select Committee, helping launch a landmark parliamentary inquiry in late 2022. He is also currently a co-investigator on a three-year project to create and test a novel tool to trace sources of pollution in UK water bodies.
Professor Ebdon said: “I am truly delighted and humbled to be the recipient of the 2026 AMI John Snow Public Health Innovation Prize. This award is named after a true sanitation hero of mine and is testament to the hard work and dedication of all the talented lab scientists, technicians, water and sanitation specialists and field engineers, with whom I’ve had the good fortune to work with over the past 25 years.”
Professor Rusi Jaspal, Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Research and Knowledge Exchange, at the University of Brighton, added: “We are immensely proud to see Professor Ebdon receive the John Snow Prize. His ground-breaking research tackles urgent global issues and provides practical, real-world solutions. It truly is research that is making a difference to people’s lives. From field engineers in humanitarian zones to parliamentary inquiries in Westminster, Professor Ebdon’s work demonstrates the vital role that university research plays in the protection of public health.”
