World's Best Scientists 2026 revealed!
Award Badge
Best Female Scientists
2025
Award Badge
Microbiology
USA
2026

D-Index & Metrics

Best Female Scientists

D-Index
146
Citations
83713
World Ranking
178
National Ranking
108

Microbiology

D-Index
148
Citations
84874
World Ranking
38
National Ranking
20

Research.com Recognitions

  • 2026 - Research.com Microbiology in United States Leader Award
  • 2025 - Research.com Best Female Scientists Award
  • 2025 - Research.com Microbiology in United States Leader Award
  • 2022 - Research.com Microbiology in United States Leader Award
  • 2016 - Fellow, National Academy of Inventors
  • 2006 - US President's National Medal of Science "For her in-depth research that has contributed to a greater understanding of the ecology, physiology, and evolution of marine microbes, most notably Vibrio cholerae, the causative agent of pandemic cholera, and which has elucidated critical links between environmental and human health.", Awarded by President George W. Bush in a White House ceremony on July 27, 2007.
  • 2002 - Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
  • 2000 - Member of the National Academy of Sciences
  • 1988 - ASM Alice C. Evans Award for Advancement of Women, American Society for Microbiology
  • 1985 - Dupont Industrial Biosciences Award in Applied and Environmental Microbiology, American Society for Microbiology
  • 1971 - Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)

Overview

Rita R. Colwell is affiliated with the University of Maryland, College Park in the United States. Their research spans multiple fields with a primary focus on biochemistry, genetics, molecular biology, and medicine. Within these broad areas, their work includes significant contributions in endocrinology, molecular biology, infectious diseases, immunology, and food science.

The primary research topics covered by their publications include:

  • Vibrio bacteria research studies
  • Aquaculture disease management and microbiota
  • Gut microbiota and health
  • Antibiotic resistance in bacteria
  • Salmonella and Campylobacter epidemiology
  • COVID-19 epidemiological studies
  • Microbial community ecology and physiology

They have collaborated frequently with several co-authors including Anwar Huq, Kyle D. Brumfield, Antarpreet Jutla, Nur A. Hasan, and Moiz Usmani, reflecting a consistent network of scientific partnership.

Research related to their work has appeared in various publication venues, with a concentration of papers published in:

  • bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)
  • GeoHealth
  • mBio
  • Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
  • Sustainability Science

Among notable recent papers authored or co-authored by Rita R. Colwell are:

  • "Statement in support of the scientists, public health professionals, and medical professionals of China combatting COVID-19," published in 2020 in The Lancet
  • "Microbial resolution of whole genome shotgun and 16S amplicon metagenomic sequencing using publicly available NEON data," published in 2020 in PLoS ONE
  • "Metagenomic Next-Generation Sequencing of Nasopharyngeal Specimens Collected from Confirmed and Suspect COVID-19 Patients," published in 2020 in mBio
  • "Microbiome signatures of progression toward celiac disease onset in at-risk children in a longitudinal prospective cohort study," published in 2021 in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
  • "Environmental parameters associated with incidence and transmission of pathogenic Vibrio spp," published in 2021 in Environmental Microbiology

Rita R. Colwell has received multiple awards, including:

  • Fellow, National Academy of Inventors (2016)
  • US President's National Medal of Science (2006), awarded for research elucidating the ecology, physiology, and evolution of marine microbes, particularly Vibrio cholerae, and its links to environmental and human health
  • Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2002)
  • Member of the National Academy of Sciences (2000)
  • ASM Alice C. Evans Award for Advancement of Women, American Society for Microbiology (1988)
  • Dupont Industrial Biosciences Award in Applied and Environmental Microbiology, American Society for Microbiology (1985)
  • Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) (1971)

Best Publications

  • Microbial degradation of hydrocarbons in the environment.

    J G Leahy;R R Colwell

  • Virioplankton: viruses in aquatic ecosystems

    KE Wommack;RR Colwell

  • Emerging Marine Diseases--Climate Links and Anthropogenic Factors

    C.D. Harvell;K. Kim;K. Kim;J.M. Burkholder;R.R. Colwell;R.R. Colwell

  • Survival strategies of bacteria in the natural environment.

    D B Roszak;R R Colwell

  • DNA sequence of both chromosomes of the cholera pathogen Vibrio cholerae

    John F. Heidelberg;Jonathan A. Eisen;William C. Nelson;Rebecca A. Clayton

  • Global Climate and Infectious Disease: The Cholera Paradigm*

    Rita R. Colwell

  • Survival and viability of nonculturableEscherichia coli andVibrio cholerae in the estuarine and marine environment.

    Huai Shu Xu;N. Roberts;F. L. Singleton;R. W. Attwell

  • Effects of Global Climate on Infectious Disease: the Cholera Model

    Erin K. Lipp;Anwar Huq;Anwar Huq;Rita R. Colwell;Rita R. Colwell

  • Longitudinal analysis of microbial interaction between humans and the indoor environment.

    Simon Lax;Simon Lax;Daniel P. Smith;Daniel P. Smith;Daniel P. Smith;Jarrad Hampton-Marcell;Jarrad Hampton-Marcell;Sarah M. Owens;Sarah M. Owens

  • Viable but Non-Culturable Vibrio cholerae and Related Pathogens in the Environment: Implications for Release of Genetically Engineered Microorganisms

    R. R. Colwell;P. R. Brayton;D. J. Grimes;D. B. Roszak

  • Global spread of microorganisms by ships

    Gregory M. Ruiz;Tonya K. Rawlings;Tonya K. Rawlings;Tonya K. Rawlings;Fred C. Dobbs;Lisa A. Drake

  • Ecological relationships between Vibrio cholerae and planktonic crustacean copepods.

    A Huq;E B Small;P A West;M I Huq

  • Viable but nonculturable stage of Campylobacter jejuni and its role in survival in the natural aquatic environment

    Unknown

  • Phylogeny of the Vibrionaceae, and recommendation for two new genera, Listonella and Shewanella

    M.T. MacDonell;R.R. Colwell

  • Vibrio Parahaemolyticus and Related Halophilic Vibrios

    Sam W. Joseph;Rita R. Colwell;James B. Kaper

  • Cholera dynamics and El Niño-Southern Oscillation.

    Mercedes Pascual;Xavier Rodó;Stephen P. Ellner;Rita Colwell

  • Ecology of Vibrio parahaemolyticus in Chesapeake Bay

    Tatsuo Kaneko;Rita R. Colwell

  • Climate and infectious disease: use of remote sensing for detection of Vibrio cholerae by indirect measurement.

    Brad Lobitz;Louisa Beck;Anwar Huq;Byron Wood

  • Viable but nonrecoverable stage of Salmonella enteritidis in aquatic systems.

    D. B. Roszak;D. J. Grimes;R. R. Colwell

  • Reduction of cholera in Bangladeshi villages by simple filtration

    Rita R. Colwell;Anwar Huq;M. Sirajul Islam;K. M. A. Aziz

  • Genotypes associated with virulence in environmental isolates of Vibrio cholerae.

    Irma N. G. Rivera;Irma N. G. Rivera;Jongsik Chun;Anwar Huq;Anwar Huq;R. Brad Sack

  • Human Coronavirus 229E Remains Infectious on Common Touch Surface Materials

    Sarah L. Warnes;Zoë R. Little;C. William Keevil

Frequent Co-Authors

Anwar Huq
Anwar Huq University of Maryland, College Park
Nur A. Hasan
Nur A. Hasan University of Maryland, College Park
R. Bradley Sack
R. Bradley Sack Johns Hopkins University
Jongsik Chun
Jongsik Chun Seoul National University
Russell T. Hill
Russell T. Hill University of Maryland Center For Environmental Sciences
G. Balakrish Nair
G. Balakrish Nair National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases
David A. Sack
David A. Sack Johns Hopkins University
Brian Austin
Brian Austin University of Stirling
Jacques Ravel
Jacques Ravel University of Maryland, Baltimore
Alejandro Cravioto
Alejandro Cravioto National Autonomous University of Mexico

If you think any of the details on this page are incorrect, let us know.

Report an issue

We appreciate your kind effort to assist us to improve this page, it would be helpful providing us with as much detail as possible in the text box below:

Related Online Degrees & Career Pathways

For students interested in Microbiology, exploring related online degrees can open diverse career paths. Programs like the shortest online medical billing and coding certificate programs offer a quick entry point into the healthcare industry, complementing scientific knowledge with administrative skills.

Additionally, pursuing online medical degrees allows learners to expand into various medical professions while maintaining flexibility. These programs often blend clinical and laboratory training, which can enhance a microbiologist’s qualifications for medical research or healthcare roles.

For those drawn to public health, mph online programs with easy admission requirements provide an accessible pathway to specialize in epidemiology or disease control, areas closely tied to microbiology.

Moreover, combining a science background with a bachelor’s degree can lead to specialized roles like becoming a child life specialist salary with bachelor degree, which focuses on patient care and support, highlighting the versatility of microbiology-related education in healthcare settings.

Best Scientists Citing Rita R. Colwell

Trending Scientists