Omar Ali.jpg

 

Contact Information

Department of Life Sciences
The University of the West Indies
St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago

 

Location

Professor Peter Bacon Postgraduate Lab
Natural Science Building 
Tel: 1(868) 662-2002
Ext. 83084

 

 

 

 

Education

  • PhD Graduate Environmental Biology, University of the West Indies  - 2020 expected to graduate

  • MSc. Erasmus Mundus Joint European Master in Water Coastal Management (with Distinction), University of Algarve, Portugal, University of Cadiz, Spain and University of Plymouth, England, 2010

  • BSc. Double Major in Environmental and Natural Resource Management and Biology (Upper Seconds), 2008

 

Programme Details

Programme: PhD Environment Biology
Supervisors: Dr Ramsubhag, Dr Alkins-Koo, Prof Chadee (deceased),
Academic Advisory Committee: Prof Agard, Dr Tripathi, Dr Mohammed.
Project Title: 'Microbial Risk Assessment of Water Quality in three rural communities of the Southern Caribbean'
Key words: microbial water quality, metagenomics, microbial community profiling, rain water harvesting, water poverty index, climate change, riverine ecosystems

 

Work Experience

  • Regional Research Projects
    • Research Consultant, “Field Assessment of Yeast Interfering RNA Larvicides Targeting Zika Vector Mosquitoes in Belize” – Aedes aegypti, the University of the West Indies in Collaboration with the Ministry of Health, the University of Notre Dame and University of Indiana, 2018-2019
    • Researcher, “Sustainable Water Management under Climate Change in Small Island States of the Caribbean”, University of the West Indies, 2015- 2016
  • Communities studied: Carriacou, Grenada, Speightstown, Barbados and Nariva, Trinidad
    • Project Consultant, The CARIBSAVE Climate Change Risk Atlas (CCCRA), 2010-2012, The CARIBSAVE Partnership and the University of the West Indies. Assessed the vulnerability in the Water and Health Sectors of 15 Caribbean countries
  • Laboratory Technician, Molecular Biology Grade 7 – 2017 -2018
    • Course responsibilities: Plant Pathogens, Environmental Microbiology, Principles of Medical Microbiology, Living Organisms I, Living Organisms II, Genetics II, Environmental and Microbial Biotechnology, Microbial Biotechnology, Fundamentals of Microbiology and Laboratory Skills 
  • Demonstrator: Pollution and the Environment, Tropical Forest Ecology, Conservation Biology and Parasitism, 2012-2013
  • Conservation Officer: The Asa Wright Nature Centre, 2007-2008
  • Laboratory Technician Assistant: Trinidad Public Health Lab, Ministry of Health, 2005

 

Publications and Reports

Stewart, A.T.M., Khan, K. and D. Chadee (2014) A Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices (KAP) Survey on Water Quality and Human Health in two Communities in Nariva Swamp, Trinidad, West Indies, Policy, Legislation, Regulatory and Public Affairs. 23rd Caribbean Water and Wastewater Association (CWWA) Annual, Bahamas

Stewart A.T.M., B. D.D. Fragoso, R. Clímaco, J. D. Icely (2014) Evaluation of Stakeholder Perspectives on the Management of the Stalked Barnacle (Pollicipes pollicipes) Resource in the Parque Natural do Sudoeste de Alentejano e Costa Vicentina, Journal of Marine Policy, 43, 71-79.

MC Simpson, JF Clarke, DJ Scott, M New, A Karmalkar, OJ Day, M Taylor, S Gossling, M Wilson, D Chadee, N Fields, H Stager, R Waithe, A Stewart, J Georges, R Sim, N Hutchinson, M Rutty, L Matthews, S Charles (2013) The CARIBSAVE Climate Change Risk Atlas (CCCRA) Project. Sectoral Vulnerability and Adaptive Capacity Assessment for 15 countries – Human Health and Water Quality Sectors, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica, St. Kitts, Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, The Bahamas, The Dominican Republic, The Turks and Caicos Islands.

 

Conferences and Symposiums

Stewart et al (2019)

Stewart, A., R. Ali., A., Ramsubhag, A., Cashman and D. Chadee (2018) Cryptosporidium in Domestic Water in the South Caribbean, Water, Sanitation, Hygiene and Health, Vol. 99, No. 4, pg 162, Supplement to The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 67th Annual Meeting, 20th October to 1st November, New Orleans, U.S.A (Poster)

The Last Stand – Is it too late for the Trinidad Buffalypsoes? (10 mins Research Video), Revitalizing the Buffalypso – Our National Treasure Conference, Hosted by the School of Veternary Medicine, Faculty of Medical Sciences and Faculty of Food and Agriculture, UWI, St Augustine, June 1-2, 2018.

Winter, N., A. Stewart and R. Ali (2017) Microbiology Group Report, General Report, Icacos BioBlitz 2017, The Field Naturalist, Quarterly Bulletin of the Trinidad and Tobago Field Naturalists’ Club, October - December, 2017, Issue No. 4/2017, pg 19.

Stewart, A., Ali, R., Seepersad, C., Ramsubhag, A. and Chadee, D. (2017) Development of a Waterborne Pathogen Risk Index (WPRI) for Rural Communities in the Caribbean, Topic 4: Tools for assessing climate vulnerability and impact, International Conference on Climate Change, Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre (CCCCC) and the Global Climate Change Plus Alliance (GCCA+) Initiative, October 9th-12th, 2017, Hilton Hotel, Port-of-Spain (Oral Presentation)

The Mosquito Man - Dave Duman Chadee (20 mins Tribute Video), 1st Annual Faculty of Science and Technology Research Symposium, FST, UWI, St. Augustine, held in honour of the late Professor Dave Chadee, 6-7th April, 2017

Winter, N., A. Stewart and R. Ali (2016) Microbiology Group Report, General Report, Port-of-Spain BioBlitz 2016, The Field Naturalist, Quarterly Bulletin of the Trinidad and Tobago Field Naturalists’ Club, October - December, 2016, Issue No. 4/2016, pg 19

Stewart, A.T.M., Ali, R., Seepersad, C. Ramsubhag, A. and Chadee, D. (2016) Investigation of Two Simple Microbiological Monitoring Tools for Domestic Water Quality in the Caribbean, Water quality standards and monitoring; physical, chemical, biological, Caribbean Water and Waste Water Association (CWWA), 25th Annual Conference and Exhibition, 24-28 October 2016, Trinidad. (Oral Presentation)

Khan, K. Stewart, A.T.M. and Chadee, D. (2016) A Knowledge Attitudes and Practices Survey on Climate change and Health in Trinidad , W.I.: Preliminary Study. 2016 Wet/Hurricane Season Caribbean Climate Outlook Forum (CariCOF) entitled Climate Change and Health Vulnerability Assessment, 30th-31st May, 2016, Dominica. (Oral Presentation)

Ali, R., A. Stewart, V. Rangersammy, A. Hanuman and A. Ramsubhag (2016) (10 Mins Research Video), Straight Outta Marac: An Investigation into the Microbial Diversity of Hidden Tar Pits, Sustainable Development, Department of Life Sciences, UWI St. Augustine, 6th Annual Research Symposium, 7-8th April, 2016. 

Stewart, A.T.M., B. Kastl, J. Sebastion Lozano-Velasquez, J. Agard, D. Chadee and A. Cashman (2015) A review of the challenges for coastal science research in the Caribbean: a case study on Trinidad and Barbados, 8th Ecosystem Services Partnership World Conference, 9-13 November, Stellenbosch, South Africa (Oral Presentation)

Stewart, A.T.M., V. Rangersammy, A. Hanuman and D. Chadee (2015) The Nariva Swamp, an Under-recognized Treasure: A case study on public perceptions and ecosystem services, Sustainable Development, Department of Life Sciences, UWI St. Augustine, 5th Annual Research Symposium, 16th - 18th, 2015, Living World, Journal of the Trinidad and Tobago Field Naturalists’ Club, Supplement 1

 

Awards and Scholarships

  • Official Selection: Documentary Short Category for Nariva, An Under-recognised Treasure   Trinidad and Tobago Film Festival (TTFF) 2017, 19-26th September, 2017
  • Field Work and Data Collection, Campus Research and Publication (CRP) Fund, UWI, St. Augustine Campus, 2016
  • UWI Graduate Scholarship, University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Campus, 2012-2014
  • Field Work and Data Collection, Campus Research and Publication (CRP) Fund, UWI, St. Augustine Campus, 2013
  • Erasmus Mundus, European Commission funded Masters Scholarship, 2008-2010
  • Coral Cay Conservation, Dive and Scientific Training Scholarship, Plymouth, Tobago, 2008
  • The Asa Wright Nature Centre/Thomas Carr Prize: Runner up – Best Yr II Environmental    Performance, Faculty of Agriculture and Science, St. Augustine Campus, UWI, 2006

 

Recent Volunteer Experience

  • UNC-BIOLAC Training on “Molecular Diagnosis of Emerging Plant Diseases and Integrated Management of Plant Health”, December 4-8th, 2017
  • PhotoRama - First Department of Life Sciences Research Photo Exhibition, Organizing Committee
  • FST/Department of Life Sciences Annual Research Symposium, 2012-2017
  • International conference on Integrated Disease Management of tropical vegetable,16-17 June, 2016
  • Global-Local Caribbean Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation Scenarios (GoLoCarSce), Scenario Development Workshop number 2, 11-12th, April

 

National Committee

  • Buffalypso TnT National Treasure Committee

 

Professional Memberships

  • American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
  • Ecosystem Services Partnership          
  • Trinidad and Tobago Field Naturalist Club
  • Erasmus Mundus Alumni Association, Caribbean Chapter 
  • UWI Alumni Association, Trinidad and Tobago Chapter

 

Social Media Info

Facebook Page - https://www.facebook.com/watertandt/

Trinidad and Tobago Film Festival: https://ttfilmfestival.com/film/nariva-an-under-recognised-treasure

Nariva’s Treasure: https://newsday.co.tt/2017/09/13/narivas-treasure/

Disastrous Flooding in Manzanilla: http://www.trinidadandtobagonews.com/selfnews/viewnews.cgi?newsid1417011529,42707,

 

 

 

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