American microbiologist wins 2026 Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize

Professor Joan Bray Rose has been awarded the Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize 2026 for her work as a key pioneer in the development and global adoption of Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment (QMRA), a science-based approach to safeguard the quality of drinking water, as well as water reuse systems.

Her work has transformed the science of microbial risk management and guided policies that protect public health and ensure safe water for communities worldwide. Her expertise in the domain of water quality and health has also played a key role in strengthening Singapore’s used water management, and the introduction of NEWater, Singapore’s third National Tap.

Commenting on her accolade, Rose — 11th recipient of the Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize — said, “I am deeply honoured to receive this esteemed award. This recognition reflects our collective progress in advancing microbial risk science and its role in protecting public health today.

“Safe water is one of the world’s most fundamental yet unevenly distributed resources critical to sustaining human life. As microbial risks continue to evolve, strengthening the robustness of our water systems remains an ongoing endeavour to ensure they remain dependable and resilient; safeguarding both water quality and people’s lives.”

She currently holds the Homer Nowlin Chair in Water Research and is Director of the Water Alliance at Michigan State University.

In the late 1980s and 1990s, Rose led a team to investigate a series of waterborne disease outbreaks across the United States. Among the most severe was the 1993 Cryptosporidiosis outbreak in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where an estimated 403,000 residents fell ill and at least 69 deaths were recorded.

She was the first to demonstrate the widespread occurrence of Cryptosporidium as a zoonotic pathogen in the United States, and its transmission to humans through inadequately filtered and disinfected drinking water supplies. By establishing Cryptosporidium as the causative agent of these outbreaks, she highlighted the vulnerability of drinking water systems to microbial contamination — a challenge with global public health implications.

Rose then pioneered QMRA in the 1990s and early 2000s to address these critical gaps undermining water safety and public health. By enabling scientists to quantify infection risks and illness probabilities based on pathogen concentrations, exposure pathways and consumption patterns, QMRA shifted water management from reactive ‘detect and correct’ approaches to proactive ‘predict and prevent’ strategies.

QMRA is now widely adopted in drinking water regulations worldwide including the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s Safe Drinking Water Standards and the World Health Organization’s Third Edition of the Drinking Water Quality Guidelines in 2004. Her work has enabled water utilities and regulators to define treatment requirements based on tolerable health risks for any given water source. Rose extended the application of QMRA beyond drinking water to assess microbial risks in treated wastewater and water reuse systems.

Beyond research, she has advanced global knowledge and capacity in microbial risk assessment through training and collaborative initiatives such as launching the QMRA Summer Institute and QMRAwiki. She has also strengthened preparedness for waterborne disease outbreaks worldwide by spearheading major international initiatives such as the Global Water Pathogen Project and Wastewater Sphere.

Rose, who recently turned 72, has dedicated her professional life to improving water quality and safeguarding public health outcomes. She is widely regarded as one of the world’s leading authorities in water microbiology and received the 2024 International Water Association Global Water Award for her contributions.

Today, she continues to lead research on emerging microbial health risks. Her work remains critical as cities strengthen their water resilience against evolving public health and climate challenges.

Rose will receive the Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize — an award certificate, a gold medallion and S$300,000, presented in partnership with Temasek Foundation — at an award ceremony on 16 June 2026, held during the official opening of Singapore International Water Week (SIWW) 2026. She will also deliver a keynote lecture.

Image caption: Professor Joan Bray Rose, Homer Nowlin Chair in Water Research and Director of the Water Alliance at Michigan State University and Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize 2026 Laureate. Image: Supplied.