PhD student spotlight - Jiye Kwon

This series spotlights the amazing students in the YSPH Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases (EMD) program. This month focuses on students who are conducting research on respiratory pathogens. Here, PhD student Jiye Kwon tells us about the program and some of her exciting research in a Q&A format.

I chose to pursue my PhD in the department because of the flexibility, interdisciplinary research opportunities, and the positive experiences shared by current students. For my PhD, I’m excited to combine genomics with infectious disease modeling to better understand interventions like vaccines and antibiotics, with the goal of translating these insights into data-driven policy recommendations. The faculty, with their diverse expertise in infectious diseases, really encourages creative thinking and innovative approaches—from benchside research to policy-level interventions. This multiscale approach was a major factor in my decision to join the program.

My research integrates genomic data into statistical models to better understand how vaccines work. Specifically, I explore the potential for earlier detection of vaccine escape variants and/or measurement of vaccine protection directly from genomic data. To do this, I study Rotavirus, SARS-CoV-2 and Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), which are at different stages of vaccine rollout.

Typically, measuring vaccine effectiveness requires waiting for sufficient uptake and then the collection of real-world data over a specified period. However, genomic data from virus surveillance can be accessed more quickly as the cases arise. In our project, we explore how to leverage this genomic data to predict vaccine effectiveness in near-real-time.

I'm thrilled about new vaccines and interventions in the pipeline! Although high-income countries have historically dominated genomic sequence availability, the increasing data from low- and middle-income countries present valuable opportunities to understand how pathogen-specific factors, if any, influence differential vaccine effectiveness across various settings.

I believe genomics and modeling will continue to evolve to enhance our understanding of responses to respiratory vaccines, particularly for RSV. I aim to integrate my research to translate these insights into actionable, data-driven policy recommendations.

Navigating academia is not easy, but I’ve truly benefited from collaborations with labs within and outside of Yale and have fostered many friendships. The faculty are always available to answer questions, encourage us to lead projects, and emphasize the importance of translating research into real-world applications.

If your research interests don’t perfectly align with one professor, don’t worry! The faculty are collaborative and encourage you to seek guidance from others. Co-mentoring can be a fantastic experience -- I’ve greatly benefited from having two supportive primary mentors. The small cohort size is also definitely a huge plus!