🎙️ Episode Title
Building a Grounded Approach to AI in Public Health Surveillance
---
🧠 Episode Summary
In this episode of The Innovation Forum AI Podcast, Oliver Morgan speaks with Samuel Scarpino, Professor of Public Health and Health Sciences at Northeastern University, Director of AI and Life Sciences at the Institute for Experiential AI and External Professor at Santa Fe Institute, about what it really takes for AI to improve public health practice. Sam explains why AI’s impact in public health depends far more on data foundations, system design, and trust than on new algorithms alone. Drawing on his work across epidemic surveillance, outbreak analytics, and global health data infrastructure, he discusses how public health agencies can prioritize data streams, evaluate AI-enabled surveillance systems, and design tools that support real decisions under real constraints. The conversation explores the limits of prediction, the risks of bias in outbreak data, and why keeping humans in the loop remains essential. Sam also shares lessons from initiatives such as Global.health, Epistorm, and the CODA Consortium, highlighting how AI can support digital transformation—from open line-list data to cause-of-death determination—when systems are built with purpose, governance, and users in mind.
---
💬 Guest
Samuel Scarpino
Dr. Samuel Scarpino is a Professor of Public Health and Health Sciences at Northeastern University and Director of AI and Life Sciences at the Institute for Experiential AI. He is also External Professor at Santa Fe Institute. His work sits at the intersection of artificial intelligence, complex systems science, and public health, with a focus on epidemic and pandemic intelligence. He has previously served as Vice President of Pathogen Surveillance at the Rockefeller Foundation and co-founded Global.health, an international data collaboration for outbreak response.
---
🌐 Resources and References
- Institute for Experiential AI at Northeastern University: https://ai.northeastern.edu/
- Epistorm Center: https://www.epistorm.org/
- Global.health: https://global.health/
- Child Health and Mortality Prevention Surveillance (CHAMPS): https://champshealth.org/
- Publication on wastewater surveillance: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/scitranslmed.adi7831
- Publication on mobility data and epidemic response: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abb4218
- Publication on predictability of infectious diseases: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-019-08616-0
- Publication on surveillance system design and evaluation: https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/23/4/16-0944_article
- Special thanks to Experiential Digital Global Education (EDGE) at Northeastern University: https://edge.northeastern.edu/. EDGE designs and produces digital learning experiences for Northeastern's academic programs and corporate partners, connecting education to career advancement through innovative online and experiential pathways.
---
🎵 Music Credits
Intro and outro music from Podcastle Stock Audio. Track: ‘Nairobi Nights’. License code: CL7G3EYKETEJZHMA.
---
⚠️ Disclaimer
This podcast is produced by the World Health Organization (WHO) as part of the Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence Innovation Forum initiative: https://pandemichub.who.int/news-room/innovation-forum. The views expressed by guests are their own and don’t necessarily represent those of WHO or its affiliates.
Guest affiliations have been disclosed for transparency purposes. Content is intended solely for information purposes and not as professional medical advice. Listeners are advised to consult qualified professionals for specific questions.
All personal data collected for feedback is handled in accordance with WHO standards.
---
📲 Listen and Subscribe
The Innovation Forum AI Podcast is available on Youtube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Amazon Music.
You can find a written summary of this episode here: https://substack.com/@omorgan?
