Researcher | Research Overview
John Brownstein, PhD has published 300 peer-reviewed papers, with a focus on novel methods and applications in public health surveillance. His research has been instrumental in facilitating the control and prevention of disease, improving public health practice, and engaging the public in health issues. His work has pioneered ‘digital epidemiology’- utilizing diverse digital data sources to understand population health. Dr. Brownstein's research is recognized for its translational impact, particularly through the development and application of Artificial Intelligence (AI), data mining, and citizen science. His innovative platforms, such as Vaccines.gov, Global.health, and HealthMap, serve millions annually and have received recognition from the National Library of Congress and the Smithsonian. His research was pivotal in the early detection, surveillance, and response of major disease outbreaks, including H1N1 in 2009, Cholera in 2010, Ebola in 2014, Zika in 2015 and COVID in 2019.
Researcher | Research Background
Dr. John Brownstein is a Professor of Pediatrics and Biomedical Informatics at Harvard Medical School and Senior Vice President and Chief Innovation Officer of Boston Children’s Hospital. He also directs the Computational Epidemiology Lab and the Innovation and Digital Health Accelerator both at Boston Children’s. He was trained as an epidemiologist at Yale University. His work has been honored with the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, the highest honor bestowed by the United States government to outstanding scientists, the Lagrange Prize for international achievements in complexity sciences and an Emmy for his contributions to medical reporting during the covid-19 pandemic.
Dr. Brownstein's contributions extend beyond academia into advisory roles for top agencies including HHS, DHS, FDA, DOD, CDC, WHO, and the White House. His efforts at Boston Children’s have catalyzed the launch of new startups and unique collaborations with companies like Google, Amazon, Apple, Uber, Instacart, Microsoft, and OpenAI. He also plays a leading role in shaping the hospital’s comprehensive digital strategy, including the exciting integration of AI to improve patient care. Dr. Brownstein is also co-founder of digital health companies Epidemico and Circulation and an ABC Medical News Contributor.