CEID launches four Core Research Initiatives
This year, as Boston University’s Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases Policy & Research (CEID) continues to pursue our mission to build resilience against new pandemic threats, we have focused our efforts on four Core Research Initiatives. These cores highlight high priority areas within emerging infectious that require closer linkage between research, operational response and policy: a) Data Science & Surveillance, b) EIDs, Climate Change, & One Health, c) Trust & Public Health Communications and d) Public Health, Medical Preparedness & Response. The cores will accelerate the scholarly activities, bring together researchers within and outside of Boston University, seed critical pilot research and create space to engage with trainees and communities on these important topics. In each case, the goal of our work is to help fill in the gaps in knowledge base to support decision making by public health officials, policy makers, clinicians, and community organizations. These new initiatives have been underway since July 2023 and are led by Core Directors who are recognized experts in their fields, who I am proud to call colleagues. Below outlines the cores and their leadership.
Data Science & Surveillance led by Dr. Laura White and Dr. Kayoko Shioda
The CEID Data Science and Surveillance core will focus on bringing together researchers working to develop new data sources, methods, and tools to identify, monitor, and characterize emerging infectious disease threats. The core will generate projects and activities examining for the role of data science in preparing for and combatting emerging infectious disease threats. The Data Science and Surveillance Core recently received funding as a collaborator in the Northeastern University based CDC Center for Forecasting and Analytics grant.
EIDs, Climate Change, & One Health led by Dr. David Hamer and Dr. Kayoko Shioda
The focus of the CEID One Health and Climate Change core is to bring together experts from ecology, climate change, One Health, planetary health, emerging infectious diseases, and systems science, along with practitioners and policy experts in public health surveillance and pandemic preparedness, to identify, review, and prioritize research gaps that must be addressed to prevent future global pandemics. The core aims to develop new data sources, methods, and tools to identify, monitor, and characterize emerging infectious disease threats in the era of climate change. The core has an upcoming event entitled, “Interactive effects of climate and land use change transform the landscape of vector-borne disease,” which may be of interest to many given the recent malaria cases in the US.
Trust & Public Health Communications During Emerging Infectious Disease Outbreaks led by Dr. Traci Hong and Dr. Veronika Wirtz
Trust in science and in public health institutions and organizations is essential to effectively mobilize citizens to respond to threats to public health and safety. However, over the last few decades, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, public opinion of science has gradually diminished the ability of organizations and institutions to translate science into practical guidance to promote public health.
The CEID Core on Trust and Public Health Communication, through transdisciplinary research, aims to identify the best policies and practices a) to share information with the general public as well as specific stakeholders before and during a fast-moving infectious diseases crisis, and b) to build trust in science and public health institutions and organizations, especially as they related to infectious diseases control.
Public Health, Medical Preparedness, & Response to EIDs led by myself
The focus of the CEID Public Health and Medical Response Core is to link researchers and practitioners from clinical fields, basic and translational sciences, public health and policy sectors to evaluate and understand how diagnostics, vaccines and therapeutics for priority pathogens can be developed and distributed faster and more equitably within the US and globally. This core studies the architecture and efficacy of the national and international public health responses against emerging infections between and during outbreaks. Additionally, it conducts healthcare and health services utilization research in the setting of emerging infectious diseases. Lastly, the core will examine how infection control and clinical standards of care, research capacity as well as medical practice can be improved in the setting of evolving data surrounding novel diseases.
I hope you will stay tuned for news and events, and follow some of the research coming out of these new critical cores. And please join me in welcoming these public health experts to the leadership of CEID.
Respectfully,
Nahid Bhadelia, MD, MALD
