How We Make an Impact

In the early 2010s, CCDD Director Marc Lipsitch was among the first to highlight the new danger of laboratory research to enhance potential pandemic pathogens, founding the Cambridge Working Group, whose efforts led to a White House moratorium on such work. He has been an active participant in the policy process to encourage sufficient regulation of such work ever since, working with government, NGO, and other partners and writing about risk assessment, incentives, ethics, and science policy considerations in this area of biosecurity. 

During the COVID-19 pandemic, our researchers communicated key findings and mitigation strategies to local, state, and national leaders to inform public policy. CCDD experts published over 160 scientific papers on SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 to advance the scientific understanding of the virus and disease, under the challenging circumstances that accompany the emergence of a new pandemic virus. They also provided crucial up-to-date information to the private sector and public and health agencies through Op-eds, press conferences, and appearances in the news to help inform and effectively shape the response to the pandemic to keep pace with emerging scientific evidence. 

We have applied mathematical modeling to provide projections of HIV epidemic trends and the potential public health impact of interventions in sub-Saharan Africa. By developing methods to quantify the HIV epidemic globally, we have advised organizations like UNAIDS on data collection and analysis to strengthen surveillance for HIV. Our technical assistance has informed policymaking around HIV testing, prevention, and care programs in Africa through enhanced epidemiological monitoring, forecasting of transmission dynamics, and modelling the impacts of potential health interventions at national and regional levels. 

Co-led by CCDD faculty Prof. Caroline Buckee, CrisisReady is based at Harvard University and Direct Relief and collaborates with academic partners, technology companies and response agencies around the world to embed data-driven decision-making into local disaster planning. CrisisReady readies large-scale data needed for emergency preparedness and response, standardizes data so it can provide quick and meaningful insights during emergencies, and builds capacity of local decision makers to translate these high-quality insights into response. 

CDC’s Center for Forecasting and Outbreak Analytics (CFA) enhances public health emergency responses through advanced analytics and disease modeling. By collaborating with industry, academia, and government, CFA develops forecasting tools to predict and manage outbreaks, supporting informed decision-making and real-time responses. CCDD Director Prof. Marc Lipsitch, was the founding Director of Science for CFA, and today serves as Senior Advisor. Key contributions include COVID-19 variant forecasting and ongoing advancements in forecasting (re-)emerging infectious disease threats like mpox and polio. 

We have been involved in important collaborations on epidemiologic modeling and surveillance for HIV in Eastern and Southern Africa. Through partnerships with HIV research organizations such as the UNAIDS, WHO, PEPFAR, CDC, and the Global Fund. Dr. Jeff Imai-Eaton has worked to develop software and models that estimate the burden of HIV at national and subnational levels. These estimates aim to strengthen country responses. Additionally, we have collaborated with research centers on demographic surveillance and longitudinal cohort studies. This includes partnerships with the Manicaland Centre for Public Health Research in Zimbabwe and the ALPHA Network to conduct population-based HIV cohort studies. The insights from these collaborations have helped advance the global response to HIV/AIDS. 

The interdisciplinary concentration in Infectious Disease Epidemiology, led by CCDD Director Prof. Marc Lipsitch, equips students with advanced methods for epidemiologic studies, mathematical modeling, and other innovative techniques essential for understanding disease transmission. This concentration has become a hallmark of the Department, attracting increasing interest and talent, particularly in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. CCDD takes on approximately 2-5 new graduate students annually, encompassing a variety of disciplinary backgrounds such as biomedical sciences, biostatistics, biophysics, computer sciences, microbiology, and epidemiology, all with a keen focus on infectious disease modeling. Each graduate student is paired with a CCDD faculty advisor, and trainees during their time typically benefit from the rich array of complementary expertise in infectious disease at the Center.  

The Center provides substantial financial support and comprehensive scientific mentoring for postdoctoral fellows, creating an environment where emerging scientists can excel and make significant contributions to groundbreaking research in infectious disease epidemiology. This support includes hands on mentoring, opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration, and guidance from leading experts in the field, ensuring that postdoctoral fellows are well-prepared for a successful career in academia, industry, or public health sectors. 

CCDD faculty are actively engaged in teaching a variety of courses throughout the academic year, covering critical topics such as Dynamics of Infectious Diseases (EPI 501), Mathematical Modeling of Infectious Diseases (EPI 260), Biology and Epidemiology of Antimicrobial Resistance (EPI 502) and Evolutionary Epidemiology of Infectious Diseases (EPI 519), among others. These courses ensure that students acquire a comprehensive understanding of the principles and methodologies essential for advancing the field of infectious disease epidemiology, including the three essential components of modern infectious disease epidemiology: mathematics, genomics and spatial analyses. 

The workshop, first held in 2009, is an annual event for undergraduate and post-baccalaureate students from underrepresented groups who are interested in pursuing public health and mathematical modeling, and are studying public health or quantitative disciplines. During the two-day event, students listen to talks from researchers who use epidemiology, modeling and computational tools to solve problems in public health. They engage in hands-on activities to practice the skills and concepts they are learning, and network with researchers and public health professionals. More than 500 students have participated in the workshop since its inception.