Digital Epidemiologist & AI Researcher
PhD, MS
Assistant Research Professor at the University of Arizona, exploring the intersection of digital technologies, artificial intelligence, and public health to transform how we detect, track, and respond to disease.
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Assistant Research Professor at the University of Arizona, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health. Leading initiatives in digital epidemiology and AI integration in public health education.
Former Senior Researcher at ETH Zurich, Post-doctoral researcher at University of Zurich. Collaborated with UNICEF, Pan-American Health Organization, and founded Epitrack—a health surveillance startup acquired by Colab.re.
2018
Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (FIOCRUZ-Brazil)
Dissertation: Digital Disease Detection—health data mining and participatory surveillance strategies in Brazil
2014
Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (FIOCRUZ-Brazil)
Dissertation: SCHISTO TRACK—A System for Gathering and Monitoring Epidemiological Surveys by Connecting Geographical Information Systems in Real Time
2012
Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (FIOCRUZ-Brazil)
2009
ASCES/FAAPE (Brazil)
Best Innovation/Implementation Project
Swiss Society for Hospital Hygiene
Best Mobile Health Government Award
World Government Award
Success Entrepreneur Startup
PEGN/INSPER
Top 10 Brazilian Innovators
PEGN Brazil
Open Innovation (Popular Vote)
Sustainable Brands
Honor Mention for Applied Innovation in Health
Parliament of Pernambuco State
The Venture Brazil
Pernod Ricard
Best Master's Degree Dissertation
Brazil's Ministry of Health Award
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My research in digital epidemiology focuses on leveraging modern data streams to understand and track disease patterns in populations. This includes developing participatory surveillance systems that engage communities directly in health monitoring, analyzing wearable technology data to detect early physiological signals of illness, and applying social network analysis to understand how diseases and health behaviors spread through connected populations. By combining these approaches, we can create more responsive and inclusive public health surveillance systems.
My work in artificial intelligence and machine learning for public health aims to transform how we process and interpret health data at scale. I develop AI-powered tools for early outbreak detection, natural language processing systems for mining epidemiological insights from diverse data sources, and predictive models for rapid response during public health emergencies. A central focus is ensuring these technologies are accessible, ethical, and designed to reduce health disparities, advancing AI literacy and fluency among public health professionals while building systems that serve all communities.
Program Director leading global influenza surveillance initiatives, connecting real-time data streams with public health decision-making.
Directing innovation programs that foster creative approaches to global health surveillance challenges.
Leading an intensive training program that prepares public health professionals to leverage AI technologies effectively and ethically.
Spearheading initiatives to integrate AI across public health education and practice at the University of Arizona.
JMIR Public Health and Surveillance (2024–Present)
PLoS Digital Health (2025–Present)
PLOS One • PLOS Digital Health • PLOS Global Health • The Lancet Regional • JMIR Public Health and Surveillance
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Large language models' interpretation homogeneity and text Analysis: Evaluating the utility of the global flu view platform for Influenza surveillance. In Review
medRxiv, 2025-01. Pre-print
Initial validation of a method for assessing autonomic nervous system reactivity in epidemiological studies and low resource settings. In Review
The Early Childhood Development Replication Crisis, and How Wearable Technologies Could Help Overcome It. In Review
Harnessing Digital Health Innovations in global maternal and child health. Forthcoming
In: Maternal and Child Health – Global Challenges, Programs and Policies. 2nd Edition. Springer Nature
Collaborative Surveillance: Using a Minimum Set of Key Data Parameters for One Health Participatory Surveillance.
JMIR Public Health and Surveillance, 11(1), e77448. DOI
Reimagining wearable-based digital contact tracing: Insights from Kenya and Côte d'Ivoire.
ACM CHI'25. DOI
Data Parameters From Participatory Surveillance Systems in Human, Animal, and Environmental Health From Around the Globe: Descriptive Analysis.
JMIR Public Health Surveill 2025;11:e55356. DOI
Participatory Disease Surveillance for the Early Detection of Cholera-Like Diarrheal Disease Outbreaks in Rural Villages in Malawi: Prospective Cohort Study.
JMIR Public Health and Surveillance, 10, e49539. DOI
Using EpiCore to Enable Rapid Verification of Potential Health Threats: Illustrated Use Cases and Summary Statistics.
JMIR Public Health and Surveillance, 10, e52093. DOI
Digital Transformation of Public Health for Noncommunicable Diseases: Narrative Viewpoint of Challenges and Opportunities.
JMIR Public Health Surveill 2024;10:e49575. DOI
Clinical symptoms of SARS-CoV-2 breakthrough infection during the Omicron period in relation to baseline immune status and booster vaccination.
Influenza and other respiratory viruses, 17(6), e13167. DOI
Enabling Multicentric Participatory Disease Surveillance for Global Health Enhancement: Viewpoint on Global Flu View.
JMIR Public Health Surveill 2023;9:e46644. DOI
Participatory Surveillance for COVID-19 Trend Detection in Brazil: Cross-sectional Study.
JMIR Public Health Surveill 2023;9:e44517. DOI
Risk and symptoms of COVID-19 in health professionals according to baseline immune status and booster vaccination during the Delta and Omicron waves in Switzerland.
PLOS Medicine 19(11): e1004125. DOI
Impact of respirator versus surgical masks on SARS-CoV-2 acquisition in healthcare workers: a prospective multicentre cohort.
Antimicrobial Resistance and Infection Control, 11(1). DOI
Symptoms compatible with long-COVID in healthcare workers with and without SARS-CoV-2 infection - results of a prospective multicenter cohort.
Clinical Infectious Diseases. DOI
The impacts of remote learning in secondary education during the pandemic in Brazil.
Nature Human Behaviour. DOI
Association of COVID-19 incidence and mortality rates with school reopening in Brazil during the COVID-19 pandemic.
JAMA Health Forum (Vol. 3, No. 2). DOI
Digital SARS-CoV-2 detection among hospital employees: Participatory Surveillance study.
JMIR Public Health Surveill. DOI
Combining Wearable Devices and Mobile Surveys to Study Child and Youth Development in Malawi: Implementation Study of a Multimodal Approach.
JMIR Public Health Surveill. 2021 Mar 5;7(3):e23154. DOI
Non-occupational and occupational factors associated with specific SARS-CoV-2 antibodies among hospital workers – A multicentre cross-sectional study.
Clinical Microbiology and Infection. Link
Prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies among Swiss Hospital Workers - Results of a Prospective Cohort Study.
Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology, 1-15. DOI
Using wearable proximity sensors to characterize social contact patterns in a village of rural Malawi.
EPJ Data Sci. 10, 46. DOI
Prioritizing COVID-19 tests based on participatory surveillance and spatial scanning.
International Journal of Medical Informatics, Volume 143, 104263. DOI
Participatory surveillance based on crowdsourcing during Olympic games Rio 2016: the case of Guardians of Health.
JMIR Public Health and Surveillance. DOI
Saúde na Copa: The World's First Application of Participatory Surveillance for a Mass Gathering: FIFA World Cup 2014, Brazil.
Journal of Medical Internet Research, v. 3, p. 1-10. DOI
Disruptive innovations and transformations in public health in the digital age.
Reports in Public Health, v. 33, p. 1-4. DOI
Optimistic perspectives for the health of the future.
Reports in Public Health, v. 33, p. 1. DOI
Role of Mass gathering surveillance.
In: Disease Surveillance: Technological contributions to global health security. CRC Press. Boca Raton. ISBN 9781482254396
Digital Health Innovation: From Proof of Concept to Public Value.
Proceedings of the 9th International Conference on Digital Public Health. ISBN: 978-1-4503-7208-4. DOI
Digital disease detection and participatory surveillance: overview and perspectives for Brazil.
Revista de Saúde Pública (Online), v. 50, p. 1-5. DOI
Using mobile technology to conduct epidemiological investigations.
Rev. Soc. Bras. Med. Trop. vol.48 no.1. DOI
What's in your pocket? Trends in Mobile Apps for Biosurveillance and Decision-making.
Online J Public Health Inform. 2015; 7(1):e3. DOI
The Schisto Track: A System for Gathering and Monitoring Epidemiological Surveys by Connecting Geographical Information Systems in Real Time.
JMIR Mhealth Uhealth 2014;2(1):e10. DOI
The world's first application of participatory surveillance at a mass gathering: FIFA World Cup 2014, brazil.
International Meeting on Emerging Diseases and Surveillance, Vienna. p. 44-44.
Epidemiology of schistosomiasis in coastal areas of Pernambuco State, Brazil.
Revista de Patologia Tropical. DOI
Tourism risk for schistosomiasis in Porto de Galinhas, Pernambuco State, Brazil.
Revista Pan-Amazônica de Saúde. DOI
Risk analysis for occurrences of schistosomiasis in the coastal area of Porto de Galinhas, Pernambuco, Brazil.
BMC Infectious Diseases (Online) v. 14. DOI
Biological and environmental factors associated with risk of schistosomiasis mansoni transmission in Porto de Galinhas, Pernambuco State, Brazil.
Cadernos de Saúde Pública v. 29, p. 357-367.
ANKOS Mobile: A System for Collecting and Monitoring Epidemiological Surveys Interconnecting GIS with Real Time Information.
6th World Congress Medicine 2.0, London. JMIR, p. 217-218.
Casos autóctones de esquistossomose mansônica em crianças de Recife, PE.
Revista de Saúde Pública, v. 47, p. 684-690. DOI
Spatial distribution of schistosomiasis and geohelminthiasis cases in the rural areas of Pernambuco, Brazil.
Rev. Soc. Bras. Med. Trop. DOI
Epidemiological Monitoring Of Rumors Through Social Networks During Mass Gatherings.
6th World Congress Medicine 2.0, London. JMIR, p. 216-217.
Análise espacial dos casos humanos de esquistossomose em uma comunidade horticultora da Zona da Mata de Pernambuco, Brasil.
Revista Brasileira de Epidemiologia, v. 15, p. 771-780. DOI
Schistosomiasis transmission and environmental change: a spatio-temporal analysis in Porto de Galinhas, Pernambuco – Brazil.
International Journal of Health Geographics. DOI
Estratégias do Futuro para Enfrentar Problemas do Passado: Celulares do tipo smartphones, Twitter e SMS criam rede nova, barata e eficiente para o combate à esquistossomose.
Scientific American Brasil, v. 106, p. 48-51. DOI
The endemisation of schistosomiasis in Porto de Galinhas, Pernambuco, Brazil, 10 years after the first epidemic outbreak.
Memórias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz. DOI
Use of computerized templates and mobile technology in putting epidemiological surveys into operation in the field.
V Simpósio Nacional de Geografia da Saúde, Recife.
04
GHI 240
This course offers an innovative exploration into how digital technologies are reshaping public health. Welcoming students from all backgrounds, we examine the integration of emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, blockchain, and the Internet of Things within public health's core functions—policy development, resource allocation, and health services. Through lectures, interactive discussions, and real-world case studies, students delve into the digital transformation of public health, examining its implications for ethics, equity, and access. By the end, participants will be well-prepared to contribute to public health in the digital age, whether their future careers lie in health care, technology development, policy-making, or beyond.
View Course ListingGHI 463/563
This course introduces students to the concepts, methods, and ethics of Artificial Intelligence techniques applied to public health domains. The curriculum emphasizes data acquisition and preparation, prompt engineering, large language models, data evaluation and analysis, and implementation workflows using Generative AI.
View Course ListingGHI/EPID 526
This course explores the evolution of epidemiology, from its foundations to the modern era where digital tools, novel data and platforms, and artificial intelligence are integral. We examine how the Internet, social media, mobile technologies, and other digital data sources are reshaping the way we track, predict, and control disease spread. Students learn about the role of digital surveillance systems and the impact of real-time data reporting on public health decision-making.
View Course ListingHPS 459/559
This course is designed to comprehensively meet the needs of public health practitioners, equipping them with the knowledge and skills to manage public health emergencies beyond disease-specific contexts. Students learn best practices in emergency coordination, leadership, communication, and resource mobilization. The curriculum is structured around three core domains: Principles of Communicable Diseases Control and Humanitarian Coordination Architecture; Communication—including risk communication, behavior change, advocacy, and external communication; and Emergency Response Planning. The course also addresses the role of Artificial Intelligence in public health preparedness, highlighting current benchmarks, digital platforms, and ecosystems that strengthen global health security.
View Course Listing