PROJECT SUMMARY / ABSTRACT
Public health response to infectious disease epidemics requires multidisciplinary, quantitative, and critical skills
to address all aspects of control from preparedness to elimination. The proposed training program will provide
critical training in modern methods of infectious disease epidemiology within the Department of Epidemiology
at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All trainees in this program will receive rigorous
training in three foundational areas: Epidemiologic Study Design and Inference, Ethics, and Translating
Infectious Disease Research through an applied practicum. In addition, trainees will focus on one of three
areas of methodological specialization (1) Transmission Modeling and Infectious Disease Dynamics, (2)
Molecular Epidemiology and Phylogenetics, or (3) Disease Mapping and Burden Estimation. These three areas
of specialization were selected because of their importance across all phases of the response to infectious
disease threats, from preparedness, through emergence, endemic control and elimination. The core faculty
and affiliate faculty participating in this training program bring strong expertise in each of these areas of
methodological specialization, as well as deep expertise in a large number of pathogen systems, and lead
projects that offer numerous training opportunities in these areas. Emphasis will be placed on integrating and
translating epidemiological and scientific results to public health policy and practice. All trainees will be
provided with practical experience in translational research and implementation science through practicums
and research projects. Hence, trainees will be required devote a research aim to applying advanced methods
to policy and practice. Two post-doctoral and 2-3 pre-doctoral trainees will be supported in each year of the
program, and will be paired with both methodological area and pathogen specific mentors. By focusing on
critical methodological areas, this training program will provide critical skills that will prepare trainees to
conduct important and impactful research in all phases of the infectious disease ‘lifecycle’, from emergence to
elimination.