Kacey C. Ernst PhD, MPH

Dr. Kacey Ernst is an infectious disease epidemiologist whose primary research emphasizes identifying and testing community-engaged strategies to reduce infectious disease spread under current and future climate conditions. She received her Ph.D. and M.P.H. from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Dr. Ernst is currently an Associate Professor, Director of the Epidemiology Program, and co-lead of the Bridging Biodiversity and Conservation Science Initiative at the University of Arizona. Some of her current research projects include examining the ecological determinants of arboviral disease transmission in the Arizona-Sonora desert region. She has extended this work to develop Kidenga, a community-based participatory application, to inform and detect potential viral transmission. Her engagement with communities to build capacity and resilience has also focused on improving the consistent use of bed nets for malaria control and developing strategies to engage women in vector control in Kenya and Indonesia. She is a strong proponent of communicating science to the public and stakeholders and is a 2017 AAAS Leshner Fellow for Public Engagement.