Presentations and Policy
The work done by Dr. Christine Kreuder Johnson and the EpiCenter team has far-reaching influence within and beyond the realm of academia. Disease emergence, spillover, and subsequent spread in human populations are inextricably tied to the health of animals and our environment. The need for research to inform science and policy remains pressing, now more than ever, in our era of a rapidly changing environment and shifting landscape use at the animal-human interface.
Through commentary pieces, conference presentations, epidemiological support, congressional briefings, and invited testimony to state and federal governments and intergovernmental international partners, we work to support science-based decision-making and public policy at home and all around the world.
International Engagement
Throughout 2023, Dr. Johnson has served as a U.S. Science Envoy, traveling to Laos, Singapore, Costa Rica, Peru, Uganda, and Kenya to advance science diplomacy and strengthen connections between in-country researchers, government partners, and the broader scientific community. In this role, Dr. Johnson met with ambassadors, key stakeholders, and national ministries overseeing public health, animals, and the environment to share and discuss One Health approaches to outbreak response and emerging infectious disease research.
Featured Policy Resource
Research and publications produced by the EpiCenter team influence and help shape policy for national and international agencies and are frequently cited as key evidence and resources.
Increasing the Utility of Wastewater-based Disease Surveillance for Public Health Action: A Phase 2 Report
Produced by the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine. "This Phase 2 report details the technical constraints and opportunities to improve wastewater surveillance for the prevention and control of infectious diseases in the U.S. It recommends improvements in the consistency and quality of national wastewater sampling, testing, and data analysis, and identifies research and technology development needs for a national wastewater surveillance system that can serve ongoing and changing public health needs in the United States." – 2024
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Wastewater-based Disease Surveillance for Public Health Action
Produced by the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine at the request of the CDC, this consensus study report reviews the usefulness of community-level wastewater surveillance during the pandemic and assesses its potential value for the control and prevention of infectious diseases beyond COVID-19. – February 2023
A Global Deal for Our Pandemic Age
A paper co-authored by Dr. Johnson served as a key resource in the preparation of this 2021 report by the G20 High-Level Independent Panel on Financing the Global Commons for Pandemic Preparedness and Response. The paper ‘Preventing the next pandemic: the power of a global viral surveillance network’ analyzed current systems and called for a global viral surveillance network. – June 2021
Infectious Disease Threats: A Rebound to Resilience
Dr. Johnson co-authored this review of the US approach to pandemic preparedness and the resulting impact on Covid-19 responses as part of the National Academy of Medicine’s Vital Directions for Health and Health Care: Priorities for 2021 initiative. This review identifies needed steps to address future pandemic threats, domestic and abroad. – January 2021
The COVID-19 challenge: Zoonotic diseases and wildlife
The Members of the Collaborative Partnership on Sustainable Wildlife Management (CPW), part of The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, cited research by the EpiCenter in the development of a statement detailing four guiding principles to reduce risk from zoonotic diseases and build more collaborative approaches in human health and wildlife management. – July 2021
A Global Early Warning System for Pandemics: Mobilizing Surveillance for Emerging Pathogens
Milken Institute – June 2021
COVID-19 and Human Development: Assessing the Crisis, Envisioning the Recovery
The United Nations development Program headquarters, the office for Latin America and the Caribbean, cited research by the EpiCenter in the development of three guiding principles in responding to the human development crisis resulting from the covid-19 pandemic. – 2020
Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) Workshop on Biodiversity and Pandemics Report
This report cited research by the EpiCenter on the links between the degradation of nature and increasing pandemic risks. It offers several policy options to help to
assess and reduce future pandemic risk. – 2020 - Presentations and Briefings
❯ "On the Frontlines: Surveillance for Emerging Viruses" Viral Traits and Infectious Disease Emergence Symposium – 9 September 2024
❯ Grand Challenges: Harnessing the Power of UC Davis – 4 November 2022
❯ Dr. Johnson was the keynote speaker for American Society for Virology conference – 16 July 2022
❯ UC Davis Team Research Forum: Preparing for the Next Pandemic – 22 April 2022
❯ Dr. Pranav Pandit spoke at ANIL AGARWAL DIALOGUE 2022 – 1 March 2022
❯ Dr. Christine Kreuder Johnson AAAS Fellow – 26 January 2022
❯ ‘Broadening the Evidence-base for Mitigating Risk of Emerging Disease: Knowledge Gaps and Research Challenges in the Face of Rapid Global Environmental Change’ – Dr. Johnson served as a IMED Panel Moderator, 04 November 2021
❯ Dr. Christine Kreuder Johnson was elected to the National Academy of Medicine – 18 October 2021
❯ 'Catalyzing innovation for surveillance of emerging pandemic threats in an era of accelerated global change' – Dr. Johnson was the Opening Keynote for Scialog: Research Corporation for Science Advancement meeting on Mitigating Zoonotic Threats, 30 September 2021
❯ 'Topics in Infection: One Health Strategies for Surveillance along the Fault Lines of Emerging Infectious Disease' – Dr. Johnson Presented for the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 18 June 2021❯ 'Pivotal Interfaces of Environmental Health and Infectious Disease Research to Inform Responses to Outbreaks, Epidemics, and Pandemics' - A Workshop – Dr. Johnson served as a committee member for a NASEM workshop that examined current environment–infectious disease interface knowledge and explored its utility for public health decisions, 08 June 2021
❯ 'Emerging Pandemic Threats in an Era of Accelerated Global Change' – Dr. Johnson was a Keynote Speaker for the Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research Science of Therapeutics Symposium, 08 June 2021
❯ Advances in COVID-19 Prevention and Treatment Enabled by Structural Biology Research: 'Catalyzing Innovation for Emerging Pandemic Threats' – Dr. Johnson presented for the Argonne National Laboratory, 12 May 2021
❯ 'Predictive Intelligence for Pandemic Prevention: Readiness for Emerging Pathogens' – Dr. Johnson organized, moderated and presented for the NSF PIPP Pandemic Readiness for Emerging Pathogens Workshop, 16 February 2021❯ Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) workshop on modeling Nature Futures scenarios - Dr. Pranav Pandit served as a modeling and scenario expert for this workshop on modeling Nature Futures scenarios under the 2030 IPBES rolling work program. January 2021
❯ 'Preventing, Detecting, Responding to, and Recovering from Future Threats' – Dr. Johnson presented for the PMAC 2021 Bangkok, Thailand, 01 December 2020
❯ 'Preventing Pandemics' – Dr. Johnson presented for the National Caucus of Environmental Legislators, State Legislators Briefing, 06 Oct 2020❯ 'Preventing the Next' – Dr. Johnson was an Invited Speaker for the Sustainable Development Impact Summit, World Economic Forum, UN General Assembly, 23 September 2020
❯'Preventing the Next Pandemic, How Can Investors Manage Deforestation Risks?' – Dr. Johnson was an Invited Speaker for the UN Finance Initiative and UN Global Compact, Principles for Responsible Investment Conference, 02 September 2020.
❯ ‘The Growing Threat of Wildlife Disease to Human Health and What We Can Do To Prevent It’ – Dr. Johnson addressed The House Committee on Natural Resources, 19 May 2022- Related Publications
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The Little Book of Data
Features an epidemiologic bipartite network map showing high-risk disease transmission interfaces shared by zoonotic viruses transmitted from wildlife to humans from the 2015 Nature paper “Spillover and pandemic properties of zoonotic viruses with high host plasticity”. This curated collection of data visuals illuminates key global trends and aims to provide investors with a different perspective on the world and help guide their decisions.