University of California-Berkeley · EngineeringLaboratory for Maternal and Neonatal Health Innovation
Amy J. Pickering · Berkeley, California
Research Focus
Dr. Amy J. Pickering's lab focuses on improving maternal and neonatal health in sub-Saharan Africa by addressing water quality and hygiene in rural health facilities. They have developed an innovative, low-cost chlorination technology that disinfects water automatically, aiming to reduce infections that threaten newborns and mothers. The lab conducts rigorous trials to assess the effectiveness of this intervention in improving health outcomes and minimizing antibiotic resistance.
water sanitationneonatal healthchlorinationantibiotic resistanceinfection preventionglobal healthmaternal healthrural healthcaremicrobiologyepidemiology
Research Aims
5AIM 01Assess the reduction of pathogenic bacteria in water and surfaces with chlorination.
AIM 02Evaluate the impact of chlorinated water on maternal and neonatal gut health.
AIM 03Measure the incidence of severe bacterial infections in newborns due to the intervention.
AIM 04Investigate the effectiveness of the intervention in reducing antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
AIM 05Generate evidence to inform policy on water disinfection in rural health facilities.
Skills the Lab Values
chlorination technologymolecular methodsculture-based methodsdata collectioncluster-randomized trialsstatistical analysisenvironmental samplingmicrobial assessmentfieldwork in healthcare settingscommunity engagement
Output against the department
Publications225top 41% of dept.115th of 278
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations8.6ktop 43% of dept.119th of 278
this lab
most citedleast cited
Career totals from OpenAlex, compared against labs that share a department. A department spans everything from one paper to tens of thousands, so bar heights are on a log scale — otherwise the largest lab would flatten every other bar to a line.