Who we are
CIDRAP's mission
Primary activities

Who We Are

The Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP), founded in 2001, is a global leader in addressing public health preparedness and emerging infectious disease response. Part of the Academic Health Center at the University of Minnesota, CIDRAP is led by Michael Osterholm, PhD, MPH, director and professor, Division of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, an adjunct professor in the Medical School, and an internationally renowned expert in public health. The center reduces illness and death from infectious diseases by effecting change through public policy refinement, fostering the adoption of science-based best practices in public health among professionals and the public, and conducting original interdisciplinary research.

An international, collaborative center drawing on a wide range of expertise, CIDRAP focuses on emerging global challenges to public health and those demanding immediate attention, striving to create solutions targeted for the greatest impact. The center's current work focuses on four main areas:

• Pandemic influenza preparedness in public and private sectors, including research on influenza viruses with pandemic potential
• Bioterrorism preparedness and response
• Internet-based infectious disease reporting and publishing
• Education

CIDRAP's Mission

"CIDRAP works to prevent illness and death from targeted infectious disease threats through research and the translation of scientific information into real-world, practical applications, policies, and solutions."

We deliver on our mission through:

• Consensus building: Convening experts to assess problems, analyze available information, and develop effective public policy recommendations and guidance. Consulting with and catalyzing policy makers, business leaders, and the medical and public health communities to act.
• Research: Conducting and facilitating targeted research on the detection, epidemiology, ecology, and transmission of infectious diseases, as well as on policies and practices that advance effective public health responses.
• Information synthesis: Conducting critical review and analysis of available scientific and public policy information on selected topics and generating authoritative, accurate, and current Web-based content.
• Communication: Making current information widely available to educate and inform healthcare providers, public health professionals, business leaders, students, opinion leaders, policymakers, the media, and others across the nation and around the world.
• Interdisciplinary partnerships: Working collaboratively with a wide range of public health, environmental, veterinary, and medical researchers and experts, as well as philanthropic groups and foundations, throughout the world to develop and support new initiatives.
• Education and training: Providing education and training opportunities (such as classroom teaching, mentorship, workshops, online training, and exercises) targeted to a wide range of audiences, including CIDRAP staff, university students at all levels, and professionals in public or private sectors domestically and internationally.

CIDRAP's Primary Activities

Since its founding in 2001, CIDRAP has had significant success in bringing international prominence to issues of preparedness. CIDRAP is widely recognized for its ability to continuously improve our knowledge of emerging infectious disease, share this expertise with decision makers worldwide, and serve as a credible, dependable resource for communities around the world. These activities drive the adoption of science-based best practices among professionals, and, increasingly, the public, to reduce illness and death related to infectious disease.

Pandemic Influenza Preparedness

With an emphasis on addressing emerging infectious disease issues that pose a real and significant international, national, and regional threat, CIDRAP has focused heavily on pandemic influenza preparedness.

Minnesota Center of Excellence for Influenza Research and Surveillance (MCEIRS)

• MCEIRS was established by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in April 2007 and focuses on the detection, epidemiology, ecology, and transmission of avian influenza (AI) viruses with pandemic potential. MCEIRS is one of six NIH-supported centers in the United States conducting a variety of research and surveillance activities domestically and abroad. The overall goal is to enhance understanding of how AI viruses evolve, adapt, and spread among animal populations and from animals to humans. As an international, collaborative research center drawing on a wide range of technical expertise, MCEIRS also serves as a high-level scientific resource in the event of a public health emergency involving the emergence and transmission of highly pathogenic influenza virus among humans.
• MCEIRS initiatives under way in North America and Southeast Asia are aimed at identifying and analyzing AI viruses in wild birds, poultry, swine, and humans having close contact with animals at high risk of infection. Specific goals include: rapid identification and characterization of AI viruses; collection and storage of viral isolates; provision of genetic and antiviral susceptibility data on highly pathogenic AI viruses; targeted research on key questions and information gaps regarding the ecology, natural history, epidemiology, and transmission of avian influenza viruses; and development of capacity-building education and training programs.

CIDRAP Comprehensive Influenza Vaccine Initiative (CCIVI)

• The CIDRAP Comprehensive Influenza Vaccine Initiative (CCIVI) is a privately funded effort to provide an expert and comprehensive review of the availability and use of influenza vaccines in response to the 2009 H1N1 pandemic. The initiative is examining factors related to state-of-the art influenza vaccine availability and use—including basic research and development, financing, manufacturing, safety, regulatory issues, procurement, distribution, vaccine usage, public education, consumer acceptance, and public policy—and will provide recommendations. Financial support for the effort is being provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, enabling end-to-end documentation and review of pandemic vaccine preparedness and response.

State and local public health preparedness

• Public Health Practices: Enhancing Emergency Preparedness & Response: In partnership with the Pew Center on the States, CIDRAP launched www.pandemicpractices.org in 2007, which featured peer-reviewed practices regarding pandemic planning. In 2011, CIDRAP and the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) collaborated to expand the scope of the online database. Now at www.publichealthpractices.org, the site addresses preparing for, responding to, and recovering from the health consequences of a wide range of disasters and emergencies. More than 300 carefully vetted practices, tools, and strategies from public health agencies showcase real-world examples from local, county, and state pandemic planners. Compiled as a resource to save communities and states time and resources, the database enables public health professionals to learn from each other and to build on their own planning efforts. Users can easily find practices applicable to their communities. The database can be searched by state or topic, as well as by area of special interest, such as materials translated into 40 languages, materials that enhance personal preparedness, or toolkits for schools. In addition, the site offers downloadable version of three national reports the project produced on tribal engagement, meeting the needs of at-risk populations during the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic, and H1N1 lessons learned at the Big 10+2 universities.
• At-Risk Populations Project: Under a contract from ASTHO, CIDRAP assisted in the development of model guidance for state, territorial, tribal, and local health officials on planning for at-risk populations during an influenza pandemic. This ground-breaking project involved meetings in three US cities with at-risk population members and stakeholder organizations, as well as distilling the input of more than 65 subject matter experts and an expert advisory panel. The project led to publication of a national guidance document to assist public health officials in their pandemic influenza planning efforts. Tools for at-risk population planning are also included on the Public Health Practices Web site.

BioWatch

• Since the inception of BioWatch in 2003, CIDRAP has been an integral partner with the program in developing and enhancing public health preparedness. BioWatch uses technology that can provide early warning of a bioterrorism attack. The program is funded through the US Department of Homeland security and is managed by local jurisdictions across the United States. The CIDRAP BioWatch team produces exercises for local BioWatch jurisdictions using Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation (HSEEP) principles. CIDRAP also produces guidance documents, workshops, training and education, and background reference materials for BioWatch program users. CIDRAP leadership also serves in an important advisory role to the program through policy development and programmatic assessments.

CIDRAP Web Site

• The CIDRAP Web site is a world-leading source of current, comprehensive, and authoritative information on category A agents and emerging infectious diseases. Over 1 million pages are accessed each year by individuals around the world. We provide current, in-depth information on bioterrorism, influenza, and new hot topics; original news stories; and comprehensive and current lists of guidelines and articles in the literature with Web links. Our site content offers a balance of public health, medical, and public policy information.
• CIDRAP's staff of professionals is dedicated to ensuring that viewers have the best and latest information available by closely monitoring developments in the field and updating our original content and related links continuously. We search numerous Web sites every day—the CDC, other academic-based public health preparedness centers, professional societies, journals, news sources, and other federal, state, and local public health and emergency preparedness agencies—for the most current and relevant information. Our goal is to continue the development of an Internet-based "living textbook" on infectious disease topics.
• These features make our site a "one-stop shop" for professionals who desire to keep abreast of the ever-changing infectious disease landscape. Growing numbers of users report that they look to the CIDRAP site for both late-breaking news and for resources providing in-depth information and analysis.
• CIDRAP News received a 2007 Award for Excellence in Health Care Journalism from the Association of Health Care Journalists for its seven-part series, "The Pandemic Vaccine Puzzle."

Education

• Dr. Osterholm teaches the School of Public Health's "Infectious Disease Prevention and Control: Current Policy Issues and Controversies" course designed to engage students in analyzing and discussing practical public health issues associated with preventing and controlling infectious diseases.
• Medical Director Kristine Moore, MD, MPH, and Associate Director Jill DeBoer, MPH, have taught several courses at the University of Minnesota's Summer Public Health Institute, including a course on pandemic influenza preparedness and a course on designing and conducting tabletop exercises to enhance public health preparedness.