Dr. Cairns’ research focuses on finding culturally appropriate, sustainable, and effective solutions for ensuring equitable access to environmental resources. Her ongoing work assesses water and sanitation infrastructure placement, alternative strategies for wastewater treatment, options for nutrient management, and perspectives on the right to water and sanitation. Her research takes place in Bolivia, Belize, and the U.S. Cairns often works in teams with engineers, marine scientists, and scholars in other disciplines with the aim of completing research that engages transdisciplinary methods and perspectives to evaluate water and sanitation infrastructure options. She is particularly interested in the use of open source solutions for data collection and mapping and has employed KoBo and Open Data Kit software in her research. Cairns is currently on leave to pursue an AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellowship with the EPA’s Office of Research and Development in Washington, D.C.