Lauren Sassoubre

Lou Sassoubre holds a PhD and MS in Environmental Engineering from Stanford University and an MS in Marine Science from Moss Landing Marine Laboratories. Her research focuses on environmental waters along urbanized coastlines. She uses molecular techniques to detect aquatic organisms such as fish and mussels using the DNA they shed into their environments (termed environmental DNA). This research has the potential to significantly augment conventional biological monitoring methods and management of fisheries worldwide. Sassoubre also uses molecular techniques as well as culture-based techniques to investigate the sources and fate of microbial contaminants in polluted coastal waters and antimicrobial resistance on dairy farms. This research has local and global implications for assessing health risks posed by contaminated water and soils, informing mitigation strategies and engineering systems to treat or prevent microbial contamination in the environment. 

Sassoubre grew up in San Francisco and studied urban redevelopment in San Francisco’s Western Addition neighborhood for her senior thesis in sociology at Colby College. When she is not preparing for class or doing research, she is at the beach with her husband and two kids. 

• Assistant Professor, Engineering, University of San Francisco (2019-present)
• Assistant Professor, Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering, University at Buffalo (2016-2019)
• Instructor, Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, Stanford University (Spring 2015)
• Early Career Fellow, Center for Ocean Solutions, Stanford University (2015-2016)
• Post-doctoral Fellow, Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, Stanford University (2014-2015)

• Stanford University, PhD in Environmental Engineering (2014)
• Stanford University, MS in Environmental Engineering (2008)
• CSU Monterey Bay, MS in Marine Science
• Colby College, BA, Sociology

• Sassoubre, L.M., Yamahara, K.M., Gardner, L.D., Block, B.A., Boehm, A.B. 2016. Environmental DNA (eDNA) shedding and decay rates of three marine fish. Environmental Science & Technology, 50(19), 10456-10464.

• Sansom, B.J. and Sassoubre, L.M. 2017. Environmental DNA (eDNA) shedding and decay rates to model freshwater mussel eDNA transport in a river. Environmental Science & Technology, 51(24).

• Sassoubre, L.M., Yamahara, K.M., Boehm, A.B. 2015. Temporal stability of the microbial community in sewage-polluted seawater exposed to natural sunlight cycles and marine microbiota. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 81, 2107-2116.

• Mattioli, M.C., Sassoubre, L.M., Russell, T.L., Boehm. A.B. 2017. Decay of sewage-sourced microbial source tracking markers and fecal indicator bacteria in marine waters. Water Research, 108, 106-114.

• Sassoubre, L.M., Walters, S.P., Russell, T.L., Boehm, A.B. 2011. Sources and fate of Salmonella and fecal indicator bacteria in an urban stream. Journal of Environmental Monitoring, 13 (8), 2206-2212.

• Research Scientist for the Center for Great Lakes Literacy Teacher Cruise aboard the R/V Lake Guardian (July 9-15, 2018)