Public Health Modeling Unit

In the face of rapidly unfolding and life-threatening diseases that affect large populations, David Paltiel, co-director of YSPH’s Public Health Modeling Unit, and his colleagues are often asking the question of the value of information. “How do you know when it makes sense to take the time and go to the expense of acquiring new information as opposed to making a decision today,” Paltiel asks, “knowing full well that the decision to wait is one that carries its own costs and consequences?”

In this video, four members of the YSPH Public Health Modeling Unit unveil the critical role of employing mathematics to simulate the complex dynamics of epidemics, disease impact, and human behavior in public health systems. Discover how these experts navigate the challenges of urgent decision-making with limited data, financial constraints, and ethical dilemmas, shifting away from traditional observational studies towards innovative modeling techniques.

As the pace of global health issues accelerates, learn why the future of public health demands a versatile toolkit that integrates modeling with epidemiology, biostatistics, and economics to shape data-driven leadership and strategic responses in the face of emerging health threats.