Sonia Grego

Grego

Associate Research Professor in theDepartment of Electrical and Computer Engineering

I am the founding director of the Duke Smart Toilet Lab, dedicated to the opportunities that data-rich human excreta offer to improve individual and public health. The objective  is to empower individuals and groups in communal living with health information for early warning of disease, health and wellness and management of chronic diseases through wastewater analysis, without any changes of daily habits. I am passionate about the opportunities that advanced sanitation technologies offer to improve global health and to provide a paradigm shift in health screening both for individuals and for communities.

As a major project of my research portfolio over the past 5 years, I have led the field testing of 10+ onsite sanitation technology prototypes from multiple organizations in international settings. I have managed yearlong deployments of sophisticated chemo-mechanical systems with electronic monitoring connected to wastewater pipes of buildings, ensuring no disruption of service to users while evaluating the treatment process performance.

Appointments and Affiliations

  • Associate Research Professor in theDepartment of Electrical and Computer Engineering

Contact Information

  • Office Location: 701 W.Main Street, Durham, NC 27708
  • Office Phone: (919) 660-5353
  • Email Address: sonia.grego@duke.edu
  • Websites:

Education

  • Ph.D. University of Copenhagen (Denmark), 1999
  • M.S. Università di Pisa (Italy), 1995

Courses Taught

  • ECE 392: Projects in Electrical and Computer Engineering
  • EGR 391: Projects in Engineering

In the News

Representative Publications

  • Sasidaran, S; Kachoria, P; Raj, A; Ramalingam, S; Stoner, BR; Sellgren, KL; Grego, S, Physical properties of menstrual hygiene waste as feedstock for onsite disposal technologies, Journal of Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene for Development : a Journal of the International Water Association, vol 11 no. 3 (2021), pp. 474-482 [10.2166/washdev.2021.262] [abs].
  • Varigala, S; Krishnaswamy, S; Lohia, CP; Hegarty-Craver, M; Grego, S; Luettgen, M; Cid, CA, Optimal design of an electrochemical reactor for blackwater treatment., Water Environment Research : a Research Publication of the Water Environment Federation, vol 93 no. 1 (2021), pp. 148-158 [10.1002/wer.1374] [abs].
  • Rosario, P; Viswash, R; Seenivasan, T; Ramalingam, S; Sellgren, KL; Grego, S; Trotochaud, L, Potential Pitfalls in Wastewater Phosphorus Analysis and How to Avoid Them., Environmental Health Insights, vol 15 (2021) [10.1177/11786302211019218] [abs].
  • Russell, KN; Preble, EA; Hegarty-Craver, M; Arrieux, JP; Cole, WR; Choi, YS; Grego, S; Rae Olmsted, K; Gilchrist, KH, Feasibility of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Assessment Based on Cardiovascular Response to Postural Change., The Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation, vol 35 no. 5 (2020), pp. E422-E428 [10.1097/htr.0000000000000582] [abs].
  • Welling, CM; Varigala, S; Krishnaswamy, S; Raj, A; Lynch, B; Piascik, JR; Stoner, BR; Hawkins, BT; Hegarty-Craver, M; Luettgen, MJ; Grego, S, Resolving the relative contributions of cistern and pour flushing to toilet water usage: Measurements from urban test sites in India., The Science of the Total Environment, vol 730 (2020) [10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.138957] [abs].