Dr. Kristina D. Mena

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University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
School of Public Health
Environmental and Occupational Health
Assistant ProfessorAppointed: 2001

Mailing Address

School of Public Health
1100 North Stanton, Suite 110
El Paso, Texas 79902
United States

Contact Information

Phone: (915) 747-8514
Kristina.D.Mena@uth.tmc.edu

Qualifications

Post-doctoral Fellow, Kansas State University, Molecular Epidemiology/Food Safety, 1997.
Ph.D., University of Arizona, Environmental Microbiology/Epidemiology, 1996.
M.S.P.H., University of South Florida, Environmental and Occupational Health, 1993.
B.A., Franklin College of Indiana, Biology/English, 1991.

Expertise and Research Interests

Water Quality
Food Safety
Microbial Risk Assessment

Keywords

COS Keywords:

Environmental Health, Environmental Sciences, Food Safety, Infectious Diseases Or Agents, Molecular Epidemiology, Occupational Health and Safety, Water Quality.

Additional Terms:

Environmental Sciences, Environmental and Occupational Health, Food Safety, Infectious Disease, Microbial Risk Assessment, Water Quality.

Memberships

American Society for Microbiology
American Water Works Association
Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors
International Society of Exposure Analysis
International Water Association
Society for Risk Analysis

Honors and Awards

Water Science and Research Division Best Paper Award 2005, Journal of the American Water Works Association

Funding Received

  • National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA): Quantitative Microbial Risk Model for Space Flight, $25,542, 2007 to 2008.
  • American Water Works Association Research Foundation: Optimization of Host Cell Capture and Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (HCC-qPCR) for the Rapid Detection of Potentially Infectious Viruses in Water, $183,533, 2004 to 2006.
  • Center for Border Health Research, Paso del Norte Health Foundation: Water Consumption Along the Border: Determining Water Intake and Source Patterns Within a U.S.-Mexico Border Population, $73,283, 2004 to 2006.
  • Johnson & Johnson: Project SPLASH in Peri-urban Communities of Ciudad Juarez, $39,997, 2003 to 2003.
  • Center for Border Health Research, Paso del Norte Health Foundation: The Paso del Norte Gastro Intestinal Study, $75,000, 2003 to 2004.
  • NIH: Helicobacter pylori Infection in Children on the U.S.-Mexico Border, $366,839, 2002 to 2003.
  • Center for Border Health Research, Paso del Norte Health Foundation: Childhood Poisonings: A Pilot Study to Determine Factors Associated with Increased Risk Among U.S.-Mexico Border Children, $74,999, 2001 to 2003.

Publications

  • C. Flores, L.C. Mota, P.M. Tarwater, C.F. Green, K.D. Mena, H.G. Balcazar, S.G. Gibbs (2007) Evaluation of respiratory symptoms and their possible association with residential indoor bioaerosol concentrations and other environmental influences, Environmental Health Perspectives, Submitted
  • K.D. Mena, L.C. Mota, M.C. Meckes, C.F. Green, W.W. Hurd, S.G. Gibbs (2007) Quantitative microbial risk assessment of a drinking water-wastewater cross-connection simulation, Environmental Science & Technology, Submitted
  • D. Sosa, M.S. Vela Acosta, M. Sanderson, K.D. Mena (2007) Population growth: adequate predictor of water demand in south Texas?, Water Policy, Submitted
  • K.A. Reynolds, K.D. Mena, C.P. Gerba (2007) Risk of waterborne illness via drinking water in the United States, Reviews in Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, In Press
  • Y.R. Ortega, M.P. Torres, K.D. Mena (2007) Prevalence of Neospora caninum in three dairy farms in Georgia and one in Texas, Journal of Veterinary Parasitology, 144 (3-4), 353-355
  • C.E. Barton, L.F. Mayberry, J.R. Bristol, V.M. Cardenas, K.D. Mena, J. Martinez-Ocana, A. Flisser, K.F. Snowden (2007) Population-based binational survey of taeniasis presents unexpected findings on the U.S. side of the Texas-Mexico border, American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, Submitted
  • K.D. Mena, S.D. Pillai (2007) Developing quantitative risk-based microbial standards for fresh produce, Journal of Water and Health, In Press
  • H. Ryu, A. Alum, K.D. Mena, M. Abbaszadegan (2007) Assessment of the risk of infection by Cryptosporidium and Giardia in non-potable reclaimed water, Water Science and Technology, 55 (1-2), 283-290
  • P.L. Gurian, G. Camacho, J.-Y. Park, S. Cook, K.D. Mena (2006) Evaluating in-home water purification methods for U.S.-Mexico border communities, Pan American Journal of Public Health, 20 (6), 403-406
  • S.G. Gibbs, C.F. Green, P.M. Tarwater, L.C. Mota, K.D. Mena, P.V. Scarpino (2006) Isolation of antibiotic resistant bacteria from the air plume downwind of a swine confined or concentrated animal feeding operation, Environmental Health Perspectives, 114 (7), 1-6
  • K.D. Mena (2006) Risk assessment of parasites in food, Foodborne Parasites, New York, New York, Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers (bookchapter)
  • K.D. Mena (2006) Produce quality and foodborne disease: assessing water's role, Microbial Hazard Identification in Fresh Fruits and Vegetables, Hoboken, New Jersey, John Wiley & Sons, In Press (bookchapter)
  • K.M. O'Rourke, M.E. Roddy, D. Williams, K. Mena (2005) Predictors of early postpartum vitamin use among women of Mexican origin: implications for healthcare provider recommendations, Ethnicity & Disease, 16 (1), 194-200
  • M.E. Roddy, K.M. O'Rourke, K. Mena (2005) Factors associated with increased risk for acute unintentional childhood poisoning among children living on the U.S.-Mexico border, International Quarterly of Community Health Education, 23 (4), 295-309
  • C. Chaidez, M. Soto, P. Gortares, K. Mena (2005) Occurrence of Cryptosporidium and Giardia in irrigation water and its impact on the fresh produce industry, International Journal of Environmental Health Research, 15 (5), 339-345
  • K.D. Mena, J.B. Rose, C.P. Gerba (2004) Addressing food safety issues quantitatively: a risk assessment approach, Pre-Harvest and Post-Harvest Food Safety: Contemporary Issues and Future Directions, Ames, Iowa, Blackwell Publishing (bookchapter)
  • K.D. Mena, C.P. Gerba, C.N. Haas, J.B. Rose (2003) Risk assessment of waterborne coxsackievirus, Journal of the American Water Works Association, 95 (7), 122-131
  • K.D. Mena (2002) Microbial waterborne disease: are we at risk?, Water Conditioning & Purification, 44 (4), 38-41
  • K.D. Mena (2002) Environmental exposure to viruses: a human health risk assessment methodology, The Encyclopedia of Environmental Microbiology, New York, New york, John Wiley & Sons (bookchapter)
  • K.D. Crabtree, C.P. Gerba, J.B. Rose, C.N. Haas (1997) Waterborne adenovirus: a risk assessment, Water Science and Technology, 35, 1-6
  • C.P. Gerba, J.B. Rose, C.N. Haas, K.D. Crabtree (1996) Waterborne rotavirus: a risk assessment, Water Research, 30, 2929-2940
  • K.D. Crabtree, R.H. Ruskin, S.B. Shaw, J.B. Rose (1996) The detection of Cryptosporidium oocysts and Giardia cysts in cistern water in the U.S. Virgin Islands, Water Research, 30, 208-216

Profile Details

Last Verified: 7/27/2007

COS Expertise ID #1091851
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