Environmental microbiologist Professor James Ebdon, from the University of Brighton, UK, has been named as the winner of the John Snow Public Health Innovation Prize, which recognises outstanding achievements in applied microbiology that deliver measurable improvements in public health and environmental health outcomes.
The prize is part of the Applied Microbiology International Horizon Awards 2026, which celebrate the brightest minds in the field and promote the research, groups, projects, products and individuals who continue to help shape the future of applied microbiology.
The John Snow Public Health Innovation Prize celebrates professionals, researchers, and innovators whose work addresses key One Health challenges, strengthens access to safe water and sanitation, and translates microbiological insight into real-world public health solutions.
The prize recognises applied microbiology that has moved beyond research or pilot activity to achieve tangible impact: improving health outcomes, reducing disease risk, and supporting resilient, sustainable water systems.
Professor Ebdon said: “I am truly delighted and humbled to be the recipient of the 2026 AMI John Snow Public Health Innovation Prize. This award is named after a true sanitation hero of mine and is testament to the hard work and dedication of all the talented lab scientists, technicians, water and sanitation specialists and field engineers, with whom I’ve had the good fortune to work with over the past 25 years.”
Professor James Ebdon is an environmental microbiologist whose applied research seeks to understand the role of water and sanitation in the spread and control of water-related diseases. His international research at the One Health interface often involves the use of bacteriophages (phages) and other microbial indicators to address pressing global water and health challenges.
This has included projects in India ( Gates Foundation ), Malawi ( UNICEF ), Nepal ( GCRF ), and Bangladesh (Elrha and MSF ) and has helped to shed light on potential typhoid transmission routes within densely populated slum communities; identify human faecal pollution pathways within surface waters; determine problems with the construction and location of shallow wells; and improve the efficacy of emergency sanitation interventions for treating faecal sludge during humanitarian emergencies.
Closer to home, Prof Ebdon’s interest in phages led to an invite to pitch to the UK Government’s Science, Innovation & Technology Committee on behalf of AMI and resulted in the launch of governmental inquiry into ‘The antimicrobial potential of bacteriophages’ in Nov 2022. Prof Ebdon is currently based at the University of Brighton (UK) where he co-directs research across the Centre for Environment and Society .
Further information about Prof Ebdon’s work can also be found in the following AMI Microbiologist Magazine Articles ‘Doing something scary every week’ and ‘Tackling sources of contamination in water: The age of phage’ .
Nominations are now open for the 2027 Horizon Awards, celebrating outstanding achievement and impact across applied microbiology.
For 2027, the Horizon Awards portfolio is expanding with three new Early Career Excellence Awards, recognising emerging researchers making an impact in environmental conservation, food security and innovation, and public health. The established WH Pierce Prize, the Christiana Figueres Policy to Practice Award, and the Dorothy Jones Diversity and Inclusion Achievement Award remain open to researchers across career stages, with criteria that allow early career researchers to compete on an equal footing.
The winners of all 12 Horizon Awards will be announced and celebrated at the LAM ECR Symposium at Queen Mary University of London in June 2027, bringing together established leaders and the next generation of applied microbiologists for a celebration of achievement across our community.
Know someone whose work deserves recognition? Nominate them for a 2027 Horizon Award.
Notes to editors