Center for Applied Pathogen Epidemiology and Outbreak Control

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has established the Pathogen Genomics Centers of Excellence network (PGCoE). The network is designed to "foster and improve innovation and technical capacity in pathogen genomics, molecular epidemiology, and bioinformatics to improve the public health system’s response to infectious disease threats with resilience, flexibility, and the latest practical advances in laboratory technology, scientific computing, and applied research." The Georgia Department of Public Health has partnered with six academic institutions: University of Georgia, Georgia Tech Research Institute, Emory University, Augusta University, Georgia State University, and the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston to form one of 5 centers. The Center for Applied Pathogen Epidemiology and Outbreak Control (CAPE) is led by Georgia Department of Public Health (GDPH), the University of Georgia (UGA), and Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI). The program leadership team, Tonia Parrott (PI – GDPH), Justin Bahl (Co-PI – UGA) and Rebecca Hutchins (Co-PI – GTRI) have been collaborating to advance comparative genomic methods for outbreak response since early 2020. As a Center of Excellence, CAPE will work to address both near and long-term challenges by understanding the root causes of the challenges and providing broadly applicable, innovative solutions for the public health community. The CAPE concept is built on the idea that multiple domains of expertise will work in close collaboration, developing solutions and supporting public health laboratories in implementation and execution.