FOCUS
A combination of global complacency, anthropogenic change, and suppression of marginalized voices has caused infectious diseases to become a more insidious threat than ever before. To address this, Melody studies infectious disease transmission at the human-animal interface using ecological and network approaches. Her primary goals are to identify how characteristics of pathogens, human/animal hosts, and environments (such as poverty, land-use change, and food systems) affect risk of cross-species transmission; study how these characteristics interact to cause epidemics or pandemics; and improve outbreak prediction and response systems. This research will lead to better targeting of resources and public health interventions to the often-underserved populations where they are most needed, including low-income and migrant communities, as well as empowering these populations by centering them in the creation of sustainable disease prevention strategies.
MORE ABOUT MELODY
Melody is a queer and disabled first-generation Chinese American. Her focus on research that illuminates and dismantles barriers to good health is motivated by her lived experience with flawed health and research systems. She hopes that her work with infectious diseases will contribute to global outbreak preparedness and reduce health disparities.
