This series spotlights the amazing students working with faculty from the YSPH Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases (EMD) Department. This month focuses on students who are conducting research in Public Health Modeling. Here, PhD student Abbey Porzucek tells us about the program and some of her exciting research in a Q&A format.
Please tell us a little about yourself and what inspired you to pursue a PhD in the EMD Department at the Yale School of Public Health?
Abbey: I’m a third year PhD student in the EMD department. After finishing my Master's degree, I worked on a project in the Democratic Republic of Congo that was focused on using genomics to understand transmission patterns of prior Ebola outbreaks in the country. Through this experience, I came to appreciate the power of genomic epidemiology for emerging diseases. When applying to PhD programs, I looked for a lab where I could use my background in the wet lab while also building skills in genomics and data analysis. This led me to the Grubaugh lab at Yale!
What is the current focus of your research?
My research is focused on understanding the emergence of dengue virus. The goal is to understand how long dengue circulates within populations prior to causing an outbreak and to identify external factors, like weather patterns and socioeconomic factors, that impact emergence.
Please give a brief introduction to your work in Public Health Modeling
Currently, I am working to systematically identify dengue outbreaks that occurred globally over the past 30 years. To do this, I’m developing a model that will analyze data at the country level, estimate the baseline level of cases expected each year, and flag years with high dengue transmission.
What are some of the most significant findings or innovations from your research?
By studying historical dengue data, I will be able to identify climatic and socioeconomic patterns that have influenced outbreak frequency and severity on the regional and global scales. I hope that, by better understanding the drivers of past outbreaks will allow us to predict future outbreaks.
Which emerging trends or technologies in Public Health Modeling do you find most exciting?
Recently, I’ve been interested in studies that identify drivers of arboviral transmission such as human incidence, mosquito ecology, climate change, and population susceptibility. It's exciting to see methods that are able to capture these complex interactions.
Where do you see the field of Public Health Modeling heading in the next few years, and what role do you hope your work will play in this?
As dengue continues to emerge, I think that a lot of interdisciplinary collaborations will form to try and understand, not only what is driving dengue, but what is effective in curbing its transmission. I hope my research can contribute to this growing body of knowledge.
The support in the EMD Department is incredible! My goal in coming to the PhD program here was to develop skills in data analysis/modeling. In addition to having courses to teach these skills, the EMD Department also supports students through collaboration.
How has the EMD Department supported your research and academic goals?
The support in the EMD Department is incredible! My goal in coming to the PhD program here was to develop skills in data analysis/modeling. In addition to having courses to teach these skills, the EMD Department also supports students through collaboration. Faculty, post-docs, and other students are always willing to give advice and troubleshoot issues.
What advice would you give to prospective students considering applying to the EMD training programs at Yale?
Familiarize yourself with the work being done in different labs, and reach out to a handful of students. Talking to others in the program, as well as in the lab that I was hoping to (and did eventually) join, helped me to envision myself here.