Learn to understand and use infectious disease models for public health policy. Ideal for decision-makers and enthusiasts.
Learn to understand and use infectious disease models for public health policy. Ideal for decision-makers and enthusiasts.
This course provides a comprehensive introduction to infectious disease transmission models for public health policy makers and decision-makers. Designed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, it aims to equip participants with a clear understanding of how these models work, their various types and functions, and how they can be appropriately used to inform decisions. The course covers the basics of infectious disease epidemiology, key components of models, and how to assess their usefulness and limitations. Through case studies of the Ebola outbreak and COVID-19 pandemic, learners will explore how models inform policy decisions and navigate major sources of uncertainty. No prior background in modeling or advanced mathematics is required, making it accessible to anyone with a basic understanding of public health and infectious diseases.
4.8
(546 ratings)
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Instructors:
English
پښتو, বাংলা, اردو, 2 more
What you'll learn
Review the basics of infectious disease epidemiology and transmission
Understand key components of infectious disease models
Learn about different types of models: forecasting, inferential, and theoretical
Assess the usefulness and limitations of infectious disease models
Explore how models inform policy decisions through case studies
Identify major sources of uncertainty in model-based decision-making
Skills you'll gain
This course includes:
3 Hours PreRecorded video
10 assignments
Access on Mobile, Tablet, Desktop
FullTime access
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There are 4 modules in this course
This course offers a comprehensive overview of infectious disease transmission models and their application in public health decision-making. Designed for policy makers and those interested in understanding how these models guide public health policies, the curriculum covers the basics of infectious disease epidemiology, key components of transmission models, and various modeling structures. Participants will learn about different types of models (forecasting, inferential, and theoretical) and how to assess their usefulness and limitations. The course includes case studies on the Ebola outbreak and COVID-19 pandemic, providing practical insights into how models inform real-world policy decisions. By the end of the course, learners will be equipped to critically evaluate infectious disease models and understand their role in shaping public health strategies.
Basics of Infectious Disease Transmission Models
Module 1 · 1 Hours to complete
Types of infectious disease models
Module 2 · 23 Minutes to complete
Assessing the Value of an Infectious Disease Transmission Model
Module 3 · 53 Minutes to complete
Modeling and policy decisions
Module 4 · 1 Hours to complete
Fee Structure
Payment options
Financial Aid
Instructors
Expert in Computational Epidemiology and Infectious Disease Transmission
Dr. Amy Wesolowski is an Assistant Professor in Epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Her research leverages computational methods to explore transmission patterns of infectious diseases, with a particular focus on vaccine-preventable and vector-borne diseases. Before joining Johns Hopkins, she completed postdoctoral fellowships at Princeton University and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Dr. Wesolowski earned her Ph.D. in Engineering and Public Policy from Carnegie Mellon University.
Professor of the Practice at Johns Hopkins University
Dr. Gurley has been involved in public health research in Bangladesh since 2003, spending 12 years at the icddr,b (International Center for Diarrheal Diseases Research, Bangladesh), where she led the Surveillance and Outbreak Investigation Unit and served as Director of the Program on Emerging Infections. She collaborated with the US CDC and the Government of Bangladesh to establish national surveillance systems for diseases like meningo-encephalitis, respiratory infections, acute gastroenteritis, acute hepatitis, and hospital-acquired infections, with an emphasis on developing junior scientists. Dr. Gurley leads multi-disciplinary studies on the transmission, burden, and epidemiology of emerging and vaccine-preventable diseases, considering the ecological context in which these diseases occur. Her work focuses on enhancing collaboration between field epidemiologists and infectious disease modelers, as well as developing novel surveillance and outbreak detection strategies. Since 2004, she has been studying the ecology and epidemiology of Nipah virus, including transmission pathways and drivers of person-to-person spread, and designing interventions to prevent human infection. She serves on the WHO's Nipah Virus Taskforce, advising on the research and development of medical countermeasures. Dr. Gurley's research adopts a One Health approach to understanding and preventing infectious diseases. She is also the Co-Director for the Child Health and Mortality Prevention Surveillance (CHAMPS) site in Bangladesh, which focuses on determining the causes of and preventing child deaths, and works closely with the US CDC's Global Disease Detection program.
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4.8 course rating
546 ratings
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