epidemiologist & data scientist
Emily Ricotta, PhD, MSc
I am an Assistant Professor of Epidemiology in the Preventive Medicine and Biostatistics Department at Uniformed Services University in Bethesda, MD.
My research focuses on 1) understanding and improving data collection and management using non-randomized studies, and 2) conducting rigorous population-level infectious disease studies. My long-term goal is the study of population-level data and the application of epidemiology, biostatistics, and data science to answer questions about infectious disease transmission and risk, while building strong research and training programs for future leaders in these areas.
Before joining USU, I was chief of the Epidemiology and Data Management Unit in the Division of Intramural Research at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. I continue to serve as the principal investigator of NIAID's study evaluating the immune response to COVID-19 vaccines in individuals with immune disorders.
I received my PhD in epidemiology from the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute at the University of Basel (2018), my MSc in molecular microbiology and immunology from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (2012), and my BS in Biology from Allegheny College (2009).
Download my CV here.
Professional Experience
Assistant Professor of Epidemiology
March 2024 - Present
Preventive Medicine and Biostatistics
School of Medicine
Uniformed Services University
Chief, Epidemiology and Data Management Unit
January 2017 - March 2024
(Research Assistant, January 2017 - September 2019; Research Fellow, January 2017 - April 2022; Independent Research Scholar, April 2022 - March 2024)
Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology, Division of Intramural Research
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health,
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
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
Research & Communication
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
Training & Mentorship
Graduate Student Supervision
Leadership & Service
"I am different. Let this not upset you."