Epidemics - the Dynamics of Infectious Diseases

Dr. Ottar N. Bjornstad serves as Distinguished Professor of Entomology and Biology and holds the J. Lloyd & Dorothy Foehr Huck Chair of Epidemiology at The Pennsylvania State University. His research operates at the intersection of ecology, mathematical biology, and statistics, focusing on understanding population dynamics and disease outbreaks. His work encompasses five key areas: ecological statistics, population dynamics, species interactions, spatial dynamics, and infectious disease ecology. As a theoretical ecologist, he has made significant contributions to understanding the spread of diseases, including COVID-19, measles, whooping cough, and influenza. His research combines sophisticated mathematical modeling with empirical data analysis to study how diseases spread through populations. He has published extensively in prestigious journals like Science and Nature, with highly cited works on spatial synchrony in population dynamics and infectious disease modeling. Through his course "Epidemics - the Dynamics of Infectious Diseases" on Coursera, he shares his expertise in epidemiological modeling with a global audience. Dr. Bjornstad received his Ph.D. in Ecology from the University of Oslo and has become a leading figure in the field of ecological epidemiology, particularly in developing methods for analyzing spatiotemporal data in disease outbreaks

Dr. Peter Hudson is the Willaman Professor of Biology and Director of the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences at The Pennsylvania State University. A leading authority in wildlife disease ecology, his research explores the dynamics of infectious diseases in animal populations through an integrated approach combining field studies, laboratory research, and mathematical modeling. His work focuses on understanding epidemiology, heterogeneities in disease transmission, and parasite interactions, shedding light on how infections persist and spread among hosts. Dr. Hudson’s research has significant implications for managing wildlife health and controlling emerging zoonotic diseases that threaten global ecosystems

Dr. David P. Hughes currently serves as the Dorothy Foehr Huck and J. Lloyd Huck Chair in Global Food Security and Director of USAID Innovation Lab on Current and Emerging Threats to Crops at Penn State University. His remarkable career evolution began with groundbreaking research on the "zombie ant phenomenon," studying parasitic fungi that control ant behavior, and has transformed into leading global initiatives for food security. With a DPhil in Entomology from Oxford University and a BSc in Zoology from the University of Glasgow, he has made significant contributions to understanding disease dynamics in both natural and agricultural systems. He founded PlantVillage, an innovative platform that uses AI algorithms and computer software to help smallholder farmers combat pests and adapt to climate change. His work spans from studying behavioral manipulation by parasites in insect societies to developing technological solutions for global agricultural challenges. As a UN Fellow at the Food and Agricultural Organization (2018-2020), he has expanded his impact on international food security. Through his course "Epidemics - the Dynamics of Infectious Diseases," he shares his expertise in disease ecology and its implications for both natural and agricultural systems with a global audience.

Dr. Mary L. Poss serves as Professor of Biology and Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences at The Pennsylvania State University, where she is a key member of both the Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics and the Center for Comparative Genomics and Bioinformatics. Her research focuses on understanding viral adaptation to changing host environments, spanning from cellular to population scales. Her work encompasses four major areas: using viruses as markers to study host population dynamics for conservation and infection ecology, investigating emerging virus infections and their adaptation to new host species, studying virus-innate immunity interactions in respiratory and lentivirus infections, and examining pathogen interactions in cases of multiple infections. As an instructor for the Coursera course "Epidemics - the Dynamics of Infectious Diseases," she shares her expertise in viral evolution and host-pathogen relationships with a global audience. Her innovative approach combines experimental systems with computational methods to understand how viruses respond to new host environments, contributing significantly to our understanding of emerging diseases and viral adaptation mechanisms.

Dr. Rachel A. Smith serves as Professor of Communication Arts & Sciences at The Pennsylvania State University, where she holds joint appointments as an investigator in the Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics and the Methodology Center. Her research focuses on understanding how social influences shape health behaviors and communication, particularly in the context of infectious diseases and genomics. With expertise in quantitative methods, including dyadic and social network analysis, she examines how social identities, interactions, and memberships influence health outcomes. Her work has had significant international impact, including leading PEPFAR program evaluations in Namibia and developing innovations for malaria and food security in Mozambique. As an educator, she teaches courses on persuasion, communication theory, health communication, and intercultural communication, while also leading graduate seminars in quantitative research methods and social influence. Her research has been funded by major organizations including NIH, the Gates Foundation, CDC, and USAID. She has authored over 50 scientific publications and made numerous presentations in scientific and policy forums. Her current research focuses on developing theoretical models of stigma communication and optimizing network-based health interventions, particularly examining how social approval influences health behaviors and campaign effectiveness.