Sr. Microbiologist and Professor
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
Henry Guerard Spratt, Jr., Ph.D, Senior Microbiologist and Professor, Biology, Geology, and Environmental Science Department University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Dr. Spratt’s professional experience falls mostly in the field of Microbial Ecology. He has studied transformations of elements (e.g., C, N, S, Fe, Mn) by microorganisms in forest soils and wetland sediments, including tropical mangrove swamps, peat bogs, and upland temperate forest soils. Recently, he shifted his research focus to studies of pathogenic bacteria found in clinical environments. He still conducts research in natural settings, but through partnerships with other researchers at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC) and with local physicians Dr. Spratt helped establish a UTC research group called the Clinical Infectious Disease Control (CIDC) research group in 2015. Ultimately, the CIDC hopes to focus study on potential links between pathogens present in the clinical environment with healthcare associated infections (HAIs), providing clinic managers with options to control those pathogens and reduce HAIs.
Dr. Spratt has published his biogeochemical research in national and international journals (e.g., Applied and Environmental Microbiology; Estuarine, Coastal, and Shelf Science; Limnology and Oceanography). The CIDC has published five articles in nationally recognized journals, and currently has five manuscripts either submitted or in preparation. His teaching experience ranges from freshmen introductory biology, to graduate courses in microbial physiology. He routinely teaches pre-med students basic microbiology, as well as immunology. He has taught two graduate courses, microbial ecology, and bioremediation for over 20 years. In 2022 he published a textbook based on his bioremediation course (Bioremediation: Cleaning toxic wastes with a little help from nature. KendallHunt, ISBN: 979-8-7657-0772-2). He has mentored 20 graduate students through UTC's MS in Environmental Science since the program's inception in 1997, and has worked with over 60 undergraduate students on research related to CIDC research.
