Public Health Experts

From the labs in which we study emerging pathogens to the restaurants, hotels and hospitals where we eat, stay work and heal, Ecolab brings comprehensive, science-based solutions to promote good hygiene in our customers’ operations and help prevent the spread of disease.


Infection Prevention

Preventing the spread of infection in healthcare settings and creating sterile environments for pharmaceutical manufacturing processes requires scientific disinfection expertise, total decontamination solutions, and an emphasis on process, training and compliance measurement.

Infection prevention specialist and infection control consultant Linda Homan

Linda Homan is senior manager of Clinical Affairs at Ecolab. In her role, Homan is responsible for applied clinical research, the development of clinical and educational solutions and the incorporation of clinical best practices in all healthcare offerings. Homan is a registered nurse, is board certified in infection control and has been active in the field of infection prevention and control for over 25 years.

Throughout her career at Ecolab, Homan has provided insight and guidance on Ecolab’s key, enterprise-wide public health initiatives, including the launch of the Ecolab Science Certified program.

Homan is a registered nurse, is board certified in infection control and has been active in the field of infection prevention and control for over 25 years.

Validation manager Don Singer

Don Singer is a validation manager for Ecolab’s Life Sciences business. In his role, he oversees biopharmaceutical, pharmaceutical, cell and gene therapy and medical device industries, with technical expertise in microbiology and quality improvement.

Singer has more than 40 years of experience in research, quality control and assurance. He has maintained a membership in the USP Microbiology Committee of Experts since 2000 and is currently chair of this committee. Additionally, Singer is a member of the European Pharmacopeia Group 1 Microbiology Committee.

Singer is an author of numerous technical articles and a PDA co-author of technical reports. He is a regular speaker at many industry events and is a University of Maryland Baltimore County graduate school instructor. Don is an ASQ Fellow and an active participant in pharmaceutical-focused groups in ASQ, ASTM, and PMEDG.

Singer received a bachelor’s in biology from Boston University and a master’s in microbiology from the University of Dayton.

Global technical consultant and bio-decontamination solutions specialist Chris Berridge

Chris Berridge is a global technical consultant for Ecolab’s Life Sciences business. In his role, Berridge is the bio-decontamination specialist in Ecolab’s team of Global Technical Consultants where he is a technical subject matter expert on Ecolab’s Bioquell hydrogen peroxide vapor bio-decontamination technology, as well as Ecolab’s range of bio-decontamination products and services and their uses in the life sciences and healthcare markets.

Berridge has more than eight years of experience developing bio-decontamination solutions, including Ecolab’s Bioquell technology. He also has experience working in graded cleanrooms for pharmaceutical manufacturing as well as biosafety laboratories and biomedical facilities.

Berridge received a bachelor’s in biomedical sciences with honors from the University of Kent.

Research, Development & Engineering senior vice president and infection prevention specialist Dr. Andy Cooper

Andy Cooper is senior vice president of Research, Development & Engineering (RD&E) for Ecolab’s Global Institutional and Specialty groups, serving a wide range of customers including hotels, restaurants, long-term care facilities, schools, commercial buildings, and grocery markets.

In this role, Dr. Cooper leads teams to develop innovation portfolios and to commercialize new solutions that create value for customers while sustainably growing Ecolab businesses.

Dr. Cooper joined Ecolab in 1998 and has been responsible for diverse innovation and customer support teams across Ecolab’s corporate technology, industrial, healthcare, life sciences and institutional groups. He is in the Ecolab Inventors Hall of Fame and gets his energy from seeing new products in the wild.

Dr. Cooper holds a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in microbiology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Microbiologist and infection control consultant Ellie Wishart

Ellie Wishart is a microbiologist and infection control consultant at Ecolab. In her role, Wishart is responsible for building scientific data, real world evidence and clinical practices that support Ecolab’s programs and works to empower education and practical knowledge and best practices in infection prevention.

Wishart holds a degree in microbiology from University College in Dublin, Ireland.

RD&E vice president and public health consultant Dr. John Hanlin

Dr. John Hanlin, vice president, Research, Development and Engineering (RD&E) for food safety, supporting Ecolab’s Global Food & Beverage division. He supports the Division’s food safety platforms and works extensively with Ecolab’s customers and account teams as a public health consultant. His subject matter expertise in GMP food safety and public health provides the foundation for both a divisional and enterprise-wide view of the world’s greatest challenges from infectious disease.

A major focus of his efforts centers on food and waterborne pathogens including Salmonella, Listeria and the bacteria that cause Legionnaires’ disease. Dr. Hanlin is highly engaged with leaders in food safety outside the company. He has built strong relationships with government agencies, academic partners and industry trade association groups.

During his tenure with Ecolab, Dr. Hanlin,

  • Established Ecolab’s global public health platform.
  • Enabled Nalco Water to be recognized by the U.S. CDC as a public/private partner.
  • Delivered more than 200 customer and industry presentations in food safety and public health.
  • Published articles on food safety, sanitation practices, Legionella and other waterborne pathogens.

Dr. Hanlin is a member of the International Association for Food Protection.

Dr. Hanlin received a bachelor’s degree in biology and microbiology from the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, an MBA from Temple University and a Ph.D. in biology and microbiology from Syracuse University.

Public Health & Hand Hygiene

If the COVID-19 pandemic taught us anything, it is that public health and hand hygiene matters. It’s a visible solution that guests expect to see when they check in to a hotel or for a dinner reservation. And good hygiene practices and culture helps keep teams healthy during flu season and prevents the risk of exposure to germs in any environment.

Director and public health specialist Dr. Elaine Black

Dr. Elaine Black is director of food safety and public health for Ecolab. Dr. Black is a public health specialist and microbiologist who currently leads food safety and public health program and policy initiatives, which includes external engagement with key customers and professional organizations.

Formerly director of Agency Relations for Ecolab’s Regulatory team, Dr. Black has worked closely with the EPA on science-based policymaking in the areas of disinfection methodology, food safety, biofilm, Legionella and C. difficile.

Dr. Black received a bachelor’s degree in food science and a Ph.D. in food microbiology from University College Cork in Ireland.