A BEACON for novel disease threats: Leveraging AI for informal event-based outbreak surveillance
by Drs. Nahid Bhadelia, Yannis Paschalidis, John Brownstein, & Britta Lassmann in The Journal of Infectious […]
Research Cores
Student Research Grants
CEID is awarding two $5,000 research grants to students and postdocs conducting research related to infectious diseases. Learn more and apply by March 30th.
In The Media
BU Launches an Open-Source Infectious Diseases Monitoring Tool Powered by AI and Human Experts
Housed at CEID and operated in partnership with BU's Hariri Institute for Computing and Data Sciences and HealthMap at Boston Children’s Hospital, BEACON is a new artificial intelligence–powered surveillance platform developed to monitor and analyze infectious diseases threats around the world.
Publication Highlights
Center News
2026 Student/Trainee Summer Research Grant Opportunity
Boston University's Center on Emerging Infectious Diseases (CEID) is pleased to announce the availability of two research grants to students pursuing innovative research projects related to CEID’s mission. Open to students at the undergraduate level through the postdoctoral level, the project has to focus on public health, policy, clinical, social sciences, or data sciences […]
Virus Intelligence & Strategic Threat Assessment: New global collaboration uses experts and AI to spot the next pandemic
OSLO, SEP 4 —Global health and pandemic experts are banding together to combine their AI programmes and infectious disease knowledge to more accurately rank the viruses that have the potential to cause the next deadly pandemic. The new partnership will see the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) and University of California, Davis (UC Davis) working […]
Annual Report 2025
Read for an overview of CEID's highlights from the 2024-2025 academic year.
Summer 2025 Updates
We hope everyone is enjoying a healthy and restful summer. Read on for the latest updates from CEID. Student Research Grants Congratulations to our two recipients of this year’s student/trainee research grants, Garima Kohli and Amy Zheng. These grants, $5,000 each, aim to support students in their academic and professional development by providing financial assistance for their research endeavors. […]
PRESS RELEASE – Infectious disease surveillance platform BEACON launches beta version as a new open-source global resource
APRIL 23, 2025FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASECONTACT:CASSANDRA KENNEDYMEDIA@BEACONBIO.ORG Infectious disease surveillance platform BEACON launches beta version as a new open-source global resource BOSTON, MA – The Biothreats Emergence, Analysis and Communications Network (BEACON) leverages advanced artificial intelligence (AI), large language models (LLMs) and a network of globally based experts to rapidly collect, analyze, and disseminate information on […]
CEID faculty provide public health testimony to state lawmakers
Several CEID faculty have recently provided their expertise in infectious diseases and broader public health to help shape state public health policies. CEID Director Dr. Nahid Bhadelia provided testimony to the Massachusetts state senators and representatives on the Massachusetts Joint Committee on Public Health, chaired by Sen. Bill Driscoll and Rep. Marjorie Decker. Speaking to […]
2025 Student/Trainee Summer Research Grant Opportunity
Boston University's Center on Emerging Infectious Diseases (CEID) is pleased to announce the availability of two research grants (one for graduate students and one for doctoral and postdoctoral students) pursuing innovative research projects related to CEID’s mission. The project has to focus on public health, policy, clinical, social sciences, or data sciences research related to […]
Looking ahead at 2025 for CEID
Students are back on campus and the spring 2025 semester is in full swing! Here’s a look at upcoming work you can expect from CEID over the next few months. Museum of Science collaborations We are excited to announce a partnership with Boston’s Museum of Science, designed to engage with audiences of all ages on […]
Infectious Diseases At A Glance
33
%
of annual deaths worldwide are attributed to infectious diseases (Journal of Infection, 2023)
over half
of the world's population cannot obtain essential health services (World Health Organization, 2017)
60
%
of emerging infectious diseases that are reported globally are zoonoses (World Health Organization)
47
%
of the world's population have little to no access to diagnostics (The Lancet, 2021)