Research Bio

Charles Whittaker is an Assistant Professor of Infectious Diseases and Vaccinology at Berkeley Public Health and directs the Pandemic and Epidemic Threat Analytics Lab (PETAL). His research focuses on the dynamics, detectability and control of pathogens with pandemic potential, and uses state-of-the-art analytical approaches spanning viral phylodynamics, epidemiological modelling and machine learning to uncover new insights into how pathogens spread through populations and to enhance preparedness and response strategies for public health emergencies. Central to this work is a focus on equity, addressing how the inequitable distribution of resources hinders effective outbreak response, and developing solutions to ensure everyone is protected from pandemic threats. He is a founding member of the Machine Learning and Global Health Network and also a Field Epidemiologist—previously with the WHO (including deployment to the 2018–2020 North Kivu Ebola outbreak), and more recently with the UK’s Public Health Rapid Support Team.

Research Expertise and Interest

pandemic preparedness, epidemiological modeling, genomic epidemiology and phylodynamics, public health surveillance, machine learning