Jonathon Gass
Research/Areas of Interest
Infectious disease epidemiology; Host-pathogen ecology; Transmission dynamics of zoonotic pathogens within and between humans and non-human animals; Zoonotic virology; Bayesian phylodynamics of rapidly evolving viruses; Outbreak investigation; Disease surveillance in wildlife, domestic animals, and human populations; One Health- interactions between humans, animals, and the environment and the emergence of infectious diseases; Global health program and research implementation; Mobile health technology; Avian influenza viruses, SARS-CoV-2, and other high-consequence zoonotic pathogens and infections
Education
- PhD, Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, United States, 2022
- Master of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, United States, 2007
- Bachelor of Arts, George Washington University, United States, 2005
Biography
Jonathon Gass is an Assistant Professor of Infectious Disease Epidemiology in the Department of Public Health and Community Medicine at the Tufts University School of Medicine with a secondary appointment in the Department of Infectious Disease and Global Health at the Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Gass is an infectious disease epidemiologist, virologist, and global health practitioner studying how zoonotic viruses emerge from animal reservoirs and spill over into human populations. Dr. Gass has a multi-disciplinary background which includes expertise in both human and animal population health, One Health, molecular virology, microbiology, phylogenetics, global health research, and capacity building in human/animal laboratory and public health sectors. As PI of the Gass Lab, Dr. Gass' research weaves together field biology, human and animal disease surveillance, and both laboratory and computational analyses to build a holistic understanding of disease dynamics across interconnected human, animal, and environmental systems. Since 2017, he has established operational, investigative, and interventional research studies addressing zoonotic virus spillover in multiple settings throughout Sub-Saharan Africa, South and Southeast Asia, and the Arctic. Additionally, Dr. Gass' work strengthens global frontline health workforce capacity to prevent, detect, and respond to infectious disease outbreaks and other public health emergencies. Dr. Gass was the Deputy Director of the USAID-funded Strategies to Prevent (STOP) Spillover Consortium from 2020-2025. He is a faculty affiliate for both the Global One Health Academy at NC State and the NSF Center for Analysis and Prediction of Pandemic Expansion (APPEX). Dr. Gass is a Salzburg Global Fellow.