Society’s ill-prepared response to the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 and the subsequent COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in tremendous loss with lasting social and economic impacts. This tragedy serves as a clarion call to action – to do all we can to prepare for the next pandemic.
We face an uncertain future in which emerging infectious diseases are likely to be more frequent and more impactful. Now is the time to converge science, reason, and political will to prepare for the next emerging health threat and do all we can to prevent another pandemic. At UC Davis, our goal is to build a collaborative, transdisciplinary network that will advance predictive science and rapid detection to better prepare for and even prevent the next pandemic. We will also establish a robust research capability to respond to critical public health needs in emerging infectious diseases.
This will be accomplished through transdisciplinary engagement of emerging science and technological innovations championed by the Institute for Pandemic Intelligence.
The Institute for Pandemic Intelligence will:
- Accelerate access to the facilities and intellectual resources of our world-class institution, which has led the way in pandemic planning and prevention for more than a decade.
- Usher new findings from the field to the laboratory to the bedside and back.
- Train the next generation of transdisciplinary scientists and clinicians needed to address future pandemic threats.
- Create the infrastructure needed for solutions to scale preparedness, prediction, rapid detection, and mitigation for the next emerging health threat.
- Influence and inform policies relating to preventing and managing pandemics at local, state, national, and global levels.
In keeping with Grand Challenges emphasis on collaborative transdisciplinary research, the Institute for Pandemic Intelligence will pursue its mission with the following UC Davis entities:
