Department of Epidemiology
Learn how we advance public health globally by researching the frequency, distribution, and causes of human disease, and shaping health policies and practices.
677 Huntington Avenue
Kresge, 9th Floor,
Boston, MA 02115
Infectious Disease Epidemiology
The appearance of new infectious diseases and resurgence of old ones, often in new and drug-resistant forms, brings renewed urgency to infectious disease epidemiology.
The Department of Epidemiology at the Harvard Chan School is a leading center for infectious disease epidemiology, with active research programs on infections including, Covid-19, HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis, pneumococcal disease, and drug-resistant infections. Our work provides opportunities to apply cutting-edge approaches to understand the biology and transmission of infectious diseases. We draw on a diverse toolkit that includes classic epidemiologic methods, novel causal inference approaches, transmission-dynamic modeling, “big data” such as cell phone call records and pathogen genome sequences, network theory, and pathogen population genetics, genomics, and phylodynamics—with the ultimate goal of translating these scientific findings into improved strategies for disease prevention and control.
The interdisciplinary concentration in infectious disease epidemiology (often referred to as “ID Epi”) provides a rare opportunity for students to obtain rigorous training both in traditional methods for epidemiologic studies and in mathematical modeling and other approaches to studying transmission mechanisms. Coursework bridging these areas is reinforced by ongoing collaborations within the department, and between epidemiologists and bench scientists who can measure parameters relevant to epidemiologic models.
Check out our recent graduate profiles and list of faculty below:
Graduate Profile
Name: Quinton Hayre
Area of Research: Infectious Disease Epidemiology
Degree: Masters of Science (SM2)
Year of Graduation: 2026
Current Role: Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases PhD Student, Yale School of Public Health
Graduate Profile
Name: Caroline Tangoren
Area of Research: Infectious Disease Epidemiology
Degree: Master of Science
Year of Graduation: 2026
Current Role: PhD Student, Emmett Interdisciplinary Program in Environment and Resources, Stanford University
