Johnny Uelmen

Credentials: PhD

Position title: Assistant Professor of Population Health Sciences

Email: uelmen@wisc.edu

Website: Johnny Uelmen's website

Address:
WARF Building
610 Walnut Street
Madison, WI

Research Summary: My research focuses on evaluating and forecasting zoonotic disease risk in humans and animals, particularly at the nexus of changing climates and environments. Under a One Health lens, I leverage a multidisciplinary approach to identify disease hotspots, forecast risk, and devise targeted interventions to break disease transmission cycles. I use a myriad of statistical methods and advanced tools, such as spatiotemporal modeling, GIS, machine learning, and artificial intelligence, to identify key pieces in a complex, ecological puzzle. Ultimately, my research aims to improve our understanding of the complexities of disease ecology to increase preparedness and mitigate the global health burden on humans, animals, and ecosystems, while also promoting long-term and sustainable conservation efforts. Through innovative research and collaborative efforts, I am committed to advancing our understanding of disease dynamics and developing pragmatic solutions to safeguard the health of our planet and its inhabitants.

I thrive working in collaborative, interdisciplinary research groups, and employ several unique techniques and methods to find innovative solutions to global issues. I believe in the power of creative and appealing data visualizations as an efficient and effective method to teach and communicate findings. I work with colleagues from various fields, spanning from Public Health, Epidemiology, and Entomology, to Geography, Statistics, Veterinary and Human medicine.

Above all, one of the most rewarding experiences in my career has been the teaching and mentoring of students of all levels and backgrounds. I am a proud Center for Educational Opportunity (CeO) and Mercile J. Lee Scholar and mentor of the PEOPLE and POSSE Program Scholars and Madison Memorial High School students. Check out our lab’s webpage and email if you’re interested in learning more!

Biography:  Dr. Uelmen is a Wisconsin Native and Triple Badger (B.S. Biology, M.S. Entomology, M.S. Epidemiology). He received his Ph.D. from the University of Illinois (Epidemiology) and completed postdoctoral studies at the University of Michigan and University of South Florida. Prior to coming to Population Health Sciences, Dr. Uelmen was the Assistant Director for the Triangle Center for Evolutionary Medicine (TriCEM) at Duke University.

Areas of Expertise: Zoonosis, Epidemiology, Entomology, Infectious Diseases, Vector-borne Diseases, Climate Changes, Environmental Change, One Health, Ecology, GIS, Spatial and Statistical Modeling, Planetary Health, Environmental Health, Diseases of Wildlife