UW Bothell lecturer Keya Sen awarded Fulbright grant for public health research in India, China, Bangladesh

Keya Sen, UW Bothell, receives Fulbright  Award
Photo courtesy UW Bothell

University of Washington Bothell lecturer Keya Sen has received a Fulbright Global Scholar Award to conduct public health research in India, China and Bangladesh.

Sen is a lecturer and scientific adviser in the School of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.

Her project is based on research she began in 2014 at UW Bothell on the pathogen campylobacter carried by crows that roost in the campus wetlands.

The bacteria can cause severe gastroenteritis, an inflammation that causes nausea, abdominal cramps and diarrhea. But the crow may not play a significant role in spreading the disease. Sen explores this hypothesis at the genetic level.

Sen is a public health microbiologist who previously worked for the federal Environmental Protection Agency and Food and Drug Administration.

The Fulbright Global Scholar Award supports academic visits to up to three countries to pursue a topic of global relevance. Being selected is recognition of academic achievement and an opportunity for the people-to-people diplomacy for which the Fulbright program was created.

Sen is the seventh Fulbright U.S. Scholar grant recipient from UW Bothell. The grants are for faculty, staff and professionals. (A Fulbright U.S. Student grant was previously announced this spring for Brad Lakey to teach English in Peru. He was the fourth UW Bothell recipient of the Fulbright for graduating students and recent grads.)