epidemiologist & data scientist
Emily Ricotta, PhD, MSc

I am a Research Fellow in the Epidemiology Unit at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, where my research focuses on risk factors and transmission of infectious diseases of public health importance such as invasive fungal infections, antimicrobial resistant bacteria, and SARS-CoV-2, among others. I specialize in using interpretable machine learning models on extremely large data sets.
I am currently the principal investigator of NIAID's study evaluating the immune response to COVID-19 vaccines in individuals with immune disorders. Please see our website here for more information.
I have over ten years of research experience in epidemiology and molecular microbiology working with a variety of human pathogens, and I have participated in global public health program monitoring and evaluation, policy development, and scientific advocacy. In addition to research, I teach epidemiology and biostatistics to graduate students at George Washington University. In March 2019, I was selected to become an Emerging Leaders in Biosecurity Initiative Fellow by the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security.
I received my PhD in epidemiology from the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute at the University of Basel and my MSc in molecular microbiology and immunology from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Professional Experience
Emerging Leaders in Biosecurity Fellow
March 2019 - March 2020
Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security
Adjunct Assistant Professor
July 2018 - Present
George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Department of Clinical Research and Leadership
Research Fellow
January 2017 - Present
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health
Epidemiology Unit, Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology, Division of Intramural Research
Senior Research Data Analyst
August 2013 - December 2016
Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs
Epidemiologist
May 2012 - July 2013
Maryland Department of Health
Emerging Infections Program, Office of Infectious Disease Epidemiology and Outbreak Response, Prevention and Health Promotion Administration
Research Program Analyst
July 2010 - April 2012
Maryland Department of Health/Johns Hopkins University
Graduate Student Research Assistant
August 2010 - May 2012
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute
Research Specialist
May 2009 - June 2010
University of Pittsburgh, Public Health Infectious Disease Lab
Education
PhD - Epidemiology
2015 - 2018
Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
MSc - Molecular Microbiology and Immunology
2010 - 2012
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
BS - Biology
2005 - 2009
Allegheny College, Meadville, Pennsylvania, USA
Research & Communication
Leadership & Service
Committees
NIH COVID-19 Scientific Interest Group (board member)
NIAID Virtual Workshop Series for Harnessing the Power of Data to Advance Immune-mediated and Infectious Disease Research (organizing committee member),
Tropical Medicine Dinner Club of Baltimore (board member)
Society for Epidemiologic Research communications committee
Editorial & Peer review
Editorial board: Frontiers in Tropical Diseases
Peer review: American Journal of Epidemiology, Emerging Infectious Diseases, Public Library of Science One, Malaria Journal, Epidemiology and Infection, Health Security, Manning Publications
Other
Kaggle COVID-19 Open Research Dataset Challenge (an AI challenge with AI2, CZI, MSR, Georgetown, NIH & The White House)
"I am different. Let this not upset you."