Maria Carnovale

Lecturer, Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies

Maria Carnovale studies the conditions that are necessary for technology to maximize well-being without damaging individuals and communities, and what policies can foster this process. She is a Lecturer at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) and a freelance writer.

An economist by training, after receiving her PhD in Public Policy from Duke University in 2019, she joined SAIS as a postdoctoral fellow. In 2020, she was a Lead Policy Analyst at the Duke Initiative for Science and Society, before joining the Harvard Kennedy School as Technology and Human Rights Fellow from 2020 to 2022. In 2021, she served as Vice President at the Institute for Technology and Global Health where she led the communications team.

Her research at the Pulte Institute overviews the ethical and policy considerations that should guide any on-the-ground implementation of Smart Sanitation Technology (SST). SSTs are predictive analysis tools based on data collected by biosensors in the sewage system.  It is an emerging technology with the potential to enhance disease surveillance at the community level. Some of these tools have been already piloted by jurisdictions for epidemiological monitoring. Nevertheless, SSTs present policy challenges that should be reflected in their legal and regulatory framework.

REPORT (2023): Policy Guidelines for Smart Sanitation Technology as a Public Health Tool

BRIEF (2023): Smart Sanitation Technology in Low-Income Countries: Potential and Policy Considerations