Are we ready? A discussion of disaster epidemiology and preparedness for infectious disease surveillance during emergencies in the United States
What Will the Audience Learn:
Through a brief background on the role of disaster epidemiologists in preparedness for public health emergencies and an overview of how emergencies disrupt identification of and response to infectious disease incidents, attendees will gain a baseline understanding of disaster epidemiology and infectious disease surveillance during emergencies. Discussion of research frameworks and study results will ensure audience members come away from the presentation with knowledge on past and current gaps in preparedness for infectious disease surveillance, as well as actionable recommendations for addressing these areas for improvement within their agencies. This will include specific strategies for bridging gaps and building sustainable internal and external partnerships between emergency management and epidemiology staff. This presentation will also hold space for participants to learn from each other by collecting and sharing suggestions from audience members as to how results or recommendations can inform their work.
Course Level: Intermediate
About the Presenter
Emily Laskowski is a CSTE Applied Epidemiology Fellow with the Washington State Department of Health Disaster Epidemiology Team. Emily earned her Master of Public Health (MPH) degree from Columbia University in May of 2024, specializing in infectious disease epidemiology in the context of natural disasters, complex emergencies, and climate change. While completing her degree at Columbia University, Emily studied the whole-of-society COVID-19 Response as a research assistant with the New York City Pandemic Response Institute. Having also previously served in the COVID-19 response as with Public Health Seattle and King Emergency Preparedness and Response Section, Emily has both a professional and academic background in public health emergency response. Emily is passionate about developing and implementing strategies to mitigate the impacts of pandemics and climate change on health and ensuring our communities are better equipped to face emerging health challenges.