Training & Mentorship

The EpiCenter for Disease Dynamics provides training for mentees ranging from students to early career scientists. Our interdisciplinary approach reaches across the One Health Institute, collaborating Centers in the School of Veterinary Medicine, UC Davis Schools and Colleges, as well as external collaborators to facilitate innovative research of zoonotic disease emergence at the intersection of human, animal, and environmental health. Training and mentorship are tailored to meet project needs and interests of the trainee, with topics spanning epidemiology, zoonoses, disease ecology, surveillance, diagnostics, public health, wildlife population health, and risk mitigation. Strengthening knowledge in infectious disease dynamics is paired with real-world problems within a One Health context, with training opportunities in both laboratory and field settings. With support from the EpiCenter team, trainees develop skills in field sampling techniques, data analysis and computational modeling, manuscript preparation, interacting with state, federal, and international stakeholders, designing and conducting their own research, and presenting their research at meetings and conferences. Trainees go on to work in a wide variety of fields, including public health, wildlife health and conservation, academia, and at state, federal and international organizations.