Danielle Fernandez
MY GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT: For my community-based master’s project at Drexel’s Dornsife School of Public Health, I worked with the College of Engineering to conduct research on the incubation period of Ebola virus disease (EVD) during the 2014 West African outbreak. Using data obtained from the Ministries of Health of Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea and Nigeria, and weekly reports published by the World Health Organization, I created prediction models to examine the role of measurement error and reporting bias on the incubation period of EVD of 2–21 days. The findings of this project suggest that the incubation period of EVD may be up to 31 days. In 2016, I presented my research at the annual Council for State and Territorial Epidemiologists in Alaska and had the opportunity to discuss the findings and implications with world-renowned subject matter experts.
HOW DREXEL HELPED: During my career at Drexel, I received training in data sciences, gaining a solid foundation in many computer programs and statistical software that I use in my daily work today. Knowing how to analyze and present data in a way that is scientifically sound and widely understood is crucial when investigating endemic diseases such as foodborne “bugs” as well as when responding to novel infectious disease outbreaks such as Zika virus. My coursework well-equipped me with the skills necessary for the “disease detective” work of applied epidemiology.
WHERE I’ll BE IN FIVE YEARS: I intend to obtain a PhD in Health Informatics, as I think strong data systems and surveillance are our best line of defense against future disease threats. I am also particularly interested in working in the global health field — integrating my interests in international development, data and infectious disease epidemiology — and conducting my PhD research abroad if given the opportunity. Further out, I have my sights set on more permanent international work — running a CDC field office in Northern Africa, perhaps — but I am willing (and excited) to go where the work takes me.
