Dr. Opeyemi Lawal is the Canada Research Chair in Environmental and Public Health Genomics. (PETER MARVAL/University of Windsor)
By Sara Elliott
Drug-resistant infections are silently spreading through water, soil, food systems and healthcare settings — often undetected until they become a public health emergency.
At the University of Windsor, environmental microbiologist Dr. Opeyemi Lawal is developing new ways to spot these threats early, understand why they persist, and stop them before they spread.
His work focuses on detecting and controlling antimicrobial resistance and emerging pathogens in environmental reservoirs — places where resistance often takes hold long before people get sick.
That research has now earned Lawal a Canada Research Chair, one of the country’s highest academic honours, recognizing his work at the intersection of environmental science, public health, genomics, and artificial intelligence. He is a professor in the School of the Environment and a researcher with the Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research (GLIER).
Antimicrobial resistance is considered one of the world’s most urgent public health threats. The Public Health Agency of Canada says antimicrobial resistance was associated with nearly 4.7 million deaths globally in 2021, while Canadian projections estimate resistant infections could contribute to 13,700 deaths annually by 2050 if current trends continue.
A 2025 federal Canadian Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance System report also warns that antimicrobial resistance is increasing in humans, animals, food systems, and the environment — reinforcing the need for coordinated surveillance and early detection strategies.
"Antimicrobial resistance and emerging microbial pathogens are among the most urgent global health challenges," said Lawal. “We need to get ahead of them, not just respond after the fact.”
“With this approach, my team will advance early detection and control of antimicrobial resistance and emerging pathogens in environmental reservoirs through integrative genomics and artificial intelligence to understand how these threats emerge and persist,” he says.
But Lawal says the work goes beyond finding pathogens in the environment.
“The goal is not simply to detect pathogens,” he says. “It is to understand the conditions that favor them to emerge, persist and spread, and to advance new antimicrobial strategies to control them”
The first step focuses on improving pathogen detection, including identifying early warning signals for microorganisms that cause infection.
“Then the next step is to decode, which is to understand why they are there and why they persist in such environments,” says Lawal.
“The final step is to defend by developing new approaches to mitigate and control them.”
As Canada Research Chair, Dr. Opeyemi Lawal will lead a One Health research program. (PETER MARVAL/University of Windsor)
Beyond simply identifying microbes, the research examines factors that contribute to the presence of those microbes in such environments.
“Which is where the novelty of this project comes in,” he says.
The team will assess environmental factors and chemical pressures to better understand how antimicrobial resistance emerges.
In addition to public health benefits, the research could have economic benefits.
“If we’re able to measure the burden of antimicrobial resistance more effectively, we can better inform strategies to protect environmental and public health and reduce its broader societal and economic impacts — especially across the country,” says Lawal.
He says the goal is to shift from reacting to antimicrobial resistance to anticipating it.
Lawal is already collaborating with public health units, faculty across science and engineering, industry partners and medical professionals.
“Through interdisciplinary collaboration with public health agencies and industry partners, this research will build a national platform for environmental antimicrobial surveillance and intervention,’ he says.
“It will help protect ecosystems and public health while advancing Canada’s leadership in addressing antimicrobial resistance."
Dr. Shanthi Johnson says the appointment reflects the University’s continued commitment to research excellence and to addressing the complex health challenges facing communities today.
“Dr. Lawal’s Canada Research Chair will drive research that connects environmental science, public health, and microbial genomics in practical, measurable ways,” says Johnson.
“His work will improve how Canada detects and tracks antimicrobial resistance in real time, while building stronger partnerships between researchers, healthcare providers, and environmental agencies.”